Public and private sector unions in Illinois saw another 27,000 workers reject union membership in 2023. Just 12.8% of public and private-sector workers chose union membership, the lowest it’s been in 34 years on record.
Chronic absenteeism rates are higher in Chicago than statewide, with 44% of low-income Chicago students missing at least 10% of their days in school.
With Invest in Kids scholarships expiring, four schools across Illinois already decided to close their doors for good. Futures for nearly 10,000 low-income students remain uncertain.
Illinois’ unemployment rate tied for third-worst in the U.S. in December 2023, despite job gains across most industries since last year. Illinois continues to lag the nation and nearly all its neighbors in job growth.
An embattled Chicago-area township supervisor is being accused of discouraging competition ahead of her campaign by cutting the position’s pay if she loses. It may be illegal, but someone would need to sue.
The Chicago City Council is considering an ordinance to effectively ban natural gas in most new buildings, including gas stoves. Energy providers warn the policy could double heating costs for Chicago homes.
Seven states enacted new private school choice programs in 2023 and 11 states expanded existing programs. But Illinois killed its Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship program, ending the only help for nearly 10,000 low-income students.
Chicago drivers reported more car thefts in 2023 than in any year since the city started tracking them. Arrest rates hit their lowest level of the period.
“The vision and faith kept me going throughout this journey. I had a very clear vision of the functionality of GoGoVie and I had the faith to see it through.”
A Chicagoan was carjacked just outside Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Chicago mansion. Chicago carjackings have more than doubled since 2019, with the attackers rarely caught.
“If someone comes out of the system and says, ‘I want to go back to school’ or ‘I want to go and do this,’ if you continue to tell that person ‘no,’ it’s almost like you’re forcing them to go back to what they know.”
Illinois’ excise tax on wine is more than 4 times higher than the same bottle in New York or California. Buying in Chicago adds extra tax layers, hitting 6 times the taxes of other big cities.