Recent News About Illinois Policy Institute
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A judge in Springfield has refused to permit a lawsuit to continue which asserted the state’s constitution never intended to allow the state government from using debt, issued under the state’s bonding authority, to pay for operating expenses. The plaintiff in the case has vowed to appeal, saying the judge reached a wrong and hasty conclusion on the questions at the heart of the dispute.
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Government employees under Madigan’s watch were made to feel accountable to lobbyists, political campaign staff and other outside interests. Not the public.
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Lawyers for Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan argued that even if he did recruit so-called “sham candidates” to siphon votes away from his 2016 primary opponent, such tactics aren’t against the law.
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Station owners said Illinois businesses were damaged July 1 when the gasoline tax doubled. Tax increases are keeping Illinois pumps quiet and cooling cigarette sales.
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Why are most people law-abiding? Why does anyone obey the law? Is it because they fear the penalties for breaking it? They may, but that’s not the reason. No, most people obey the law because they believe it’s generally reasonable and fairly applied, and that it’s in everyone’s best interests to be law-abiding.
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Growing pension costs for retired educators are quickly crowding the classroom out of Illinois budgets.
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Plaintiffs suing to bar Illinois' government from treating borrowing like tax revenue are asking a state judge for the chance to make the case that two state bond issues are illegal and prohibited by the Illinois State Constitution.
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “fair tax” plan falls far short of the revenue needed to pay for his spending promises – feeding fears of future tax hikes on middle-class families.
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Illinois has a reputation for making business harder than it needs to be for entrepreneurs across the state.
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President Trump is considering commuting the 14-year prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.
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Illinois counties are hiring debt collectors to track down people who may owe money for older, unpaid traffic tickets. One woman accused of owing money would have been just 14 when the ticket was issued.
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Chicago is the most corrupt city, and Illinois the third-most corrupt state, in the nation, according to a recent report by the University of Illinois at Chicago.
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Newly retired government workers’ lifetime pension benefits will far exceed what they contributed toward their own retirements
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A proposal in the Illinois House would allow lawmakers to forgo their annual cost-of-living increase in base salary. The move comes after former lawmakers sued for back pay.
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Tackling Illinois corruption isn’t just a moral imperative. It’s a financial necessity.
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Do federal authorities have their sights set on the longest-serving state legislative leader in American history?
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Drivers who text and cause a crash that seriously hurts someone will face steep penalties under new state law. Ticket was $75 but increases to $1,000 plus license loss for a year.
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The Illinois General Assembly passed budget that included a $1,600 pay raise for state lawmakers, who already rank among the nation’s highest paid.
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Without serious property tax relief – including pension reform – it is likely fewer will demand planting roots in Illinois.
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Illinoisans deserve a pothole-free future. But are they getting a bang for their gas tax buck? Or is Pritzker’s $45 billion “Rebuild Illinois” program just another vehicle to deliver special favors? A deep dive into the capital plan points toward the latter, showing at least $1.25 billion in pork-barrel projects.
