Patrick Andriesen, Illinois Policy Institute News
1-in-5 Illinois students chronically truant thanks to COVID-19 mandates
Illinois students were missing – in masses – during the COVID-19 restrictions on in-person learning. As a result, nearly 20% fewer students met math and English proficiency standards.
Illinois only state east of Mississippi with statewide mask mandate
Gov. J.B. Pritzker teased Illinoisans in mid-October that he might lift the statewide mask mandate if new COVID-19 cases declined. But he recently pulled back on that hope, leaving Illinois as one of the few states with a statewide mask mandate.
Updated ISBE policy puts private schools on probation for defying mask mandates instead of immediately revoking state recognition
Private schools will be granted a 60-day probation to address COVID-19 compliance issues in line with public school standards under ISBE’s updated policy. Nonrecognized schools were put on probation status Oct. 1.
Illinois bill would give ISBE authority to revoke schools' state recognition
Gov. J.B Pritzker has warned district administrators since early August that ISBE would strip state recognition from Illinois schools defying his statewide mask mandate. House Bill 4135 aims to give the state board of education that power.
Pritzker mask mandate leads to threats against 58 schools, districts
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Aug. 4 mask mandate drew criticism from the communities he just weeks earlier promised would keep local control over student COVID-19 safety. School districts that fail to kowtow face severe state sanctions.
Even private schools must mask up after Pritzker flip-flop
Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised to respect local school boards and private school autonomy, until too few were doing what he wanted. So he reversed himself, mandating masks for both private and public Illinois schools.
State unemployment fraud could cost Illinois more than $1 billion
A recent report from the Illinois Department of Employment Security revealed the state lost at least $14.8 million to fraudsters during the pandemic. But experts warn the full extent of state fraud could be closer to $1 billion.
Pritzker says Illinois could see more COVID-19 shutdowns
Gov. J.B. Pritzker warned Illinois could see more shutdowns from COVID-19 after announcing his re-election campaign. He said new restrictions would not repeat preferential treatment of big box retailers over small businesses.
Illinois unemployment fund faces potential $8 billion deficit
Historic unemployment payouts related to the COVID-19 shutdowns left Illinois’ fund billions in the hole. State leaders did nothing to fix it, meaning there could be reduced benefits for the unemployed or higher taxes on employers trying to recover.
Last-minute Illinois budget riddled with errors
Because Illinois state lawmakers waited until the last minute to pass a budget, no one noticed multiple errors that could have halted about half of the state’s spending until a month before the fiscal year ended. Haste makes waste of taxpayer dollars.
Illinoisans pay 10th highest lifetime taxes in U.S.
Illinoisans will pay nearly one-third more in taxes during their lives than the average American. They will pay almost double what Indiana and Kentucky residents will pay.
Masks on, or masks off? What to know about mask rules as Illinois reopens
Chicago and state mask mandates have been dropped for fully vaccinated Illinoisans in most circumstances. Here is where masks will continue to be required, or not.
Illinois reopens June 11, but keep those masks handy
Illinoisans on June 11 will take off their masks and breathe a sigh of relief – except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance and Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mandates.
Teachers union vows to keep chasing health rules for Illinois private schools
After nearly 17,000 Illinois parents opposed a bill to impose state health mandates on private schools, and state lawmakers let the effort sit, it seemed the fight was over. Not quite. A teachers union lead lobbyist pledged to keep pursuing it.
Pritzker declares disaster for 16th time despite June 11 reopening prediction
Illinois could fully reopen by June 11, but Gov. J.B. Pritzker decided the state was still a disaster zone and he needed emergency powers until the end of June.
Illinois gas averages $3.25 a gallon even after pipeline resumes operations
The Colonial Pipeline shutdown set off a gasoline price increase, but summer travel demand and pricier summer blends are likely to keep them there. Illinois averages $3.25 per gallon, AAA reports.
What you need to know about Pritzker's next set of COVID-19 rules
Illinois is about to reach the extra COVID-19 reopening phase Gov. J.B. Pritzker added in March. Here are the rules of the ‘Bridge’ phase expected to begin May 14 and last until June 11.
Pritzker flips on public education cuts, still wants to cut low-income scholarships
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wanted to renege on the promised $350 million increase in education spending until state lawmakers pushed back. He still wants to cut the scholarship program low-income and minority students use when public education doesn’t fit them.
Too many government units means property taxes are too high in Illinois
Illinois has more units of local government than any other state and the second-highest property taxes in the nation. House Bill 1861 would have given Illinoisians the power to potentially reduce both at the ballot box. Illinois is home to nearly nearly 6,000, layers of government, excluding school districts – over 1,000 more than Indiana,...
113 six-figure school district administrators oppose ‘Classrooms First Act’
Of the 113 school district administrators earning six-figure salaries who oppose a bill to reduce bureaucracy, 21 are above the $200,000 mark. The bill intends to put more money into classrooms or back in taxpayers’ pockets.