http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/2015/01/15/unreliable-numbers-stop-illinois-exchange The recent experience of the Illinois legislature suggests establishing an exchange will pose serious problems for states, particularly when it comes to paying the operating costs.

http://www.illinoisobserver.net/2015/01/15/extra-rauner-issues-spending-freeze-road-map-state-agencies/

http://www.civicfed.org/iifs/blog/illinois-medicaid-plan-awaits-action-new-administration Medicaid is the second 800-pound gorilla coming into the room, squeezing the state budget along with pensions.

http://northernpublicradio.org/post/new-illinois-law-dictates-when-state-can-take-over-school-districts Prior to this legislation, the board could have intervened in about a hundred districts.

Borrowing — by issuing bonds — is a tried-and-true way to finance the cost of building and maintaining this infrastructure. Projects financed with bonds can give a state’s economy both a short- and long-term boost. http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=5258

Most state employees will be published on the Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal website as an easy means to find the state’s political hires. http://www.mystateline.com/story/d/story/gov-rauner-signs-hiring-transparency-act/57958/v_VXltz3oUuxYEPeujp_xg?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

More than 20 police and 10 fire pension funds were less than 30 percent funded in 2012. Brief details crushing weight of pension costs for Illinois municipalities

Mays will be director of the Illinois Department of Employment Security. He worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and spent five years with the Illinois Chamber of Commerce in jobs of vice president of human resources and executive vice president. He just left a post he’s had since 1998 as president of The Illinois Business Roundtable.

Debt service amounts to more than 11 percent of the state’s anticipated revenues. It has snowballed since fiscal year 2002. Before then, outstanding debt had never exceeded 5 percent of the state’s general revenues. via Debt service on state bonds diverts billions from essential programs | Illinois Policy | An independent government watchdog.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/102340602

Two months since Illinois enacted rules for high-volume oil and gas drilling, no company has applied for a state permit to put hydraulic fracturing to use. http://www.nwherald.com/2015/01/13/illinois-fracking-registration-off-to-slow-start/a874ozr/

As the state moves forward in the form of a new governor, there is a push by some former governors to return the mansion to its glory days. http://wgntv.com/2015/01/13/restoring-glory-to-the-illinois-executive-mansion/