If you’re still wondering why raising the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction was important enough to Democrats to sacrifice their stated principles and resort to brazen gimmicks in order to fit it into the reconciliation bill, look no further than the latest release of the IRS’s tax migration data, covering tax years 2018-2019.

The evidence-based funding formula is essentially an algorithm that sends dollars to the Illinois districts that need it most. But education advocacy group Stand for Children says the model still falls $6.8 billion short of being fully funded.

On Monday, Nov. 29, attorneys for MALDEF and the Republican leaders told the court that they believed the judges could decide the case on the information already on file; NAACP plaintiffs said they only needed a brief hearing for oral arguments. On Thursday, though, attorneys for Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Chris Welch said they believed a full in-person hearing was needed, and the judges allowed that request.

The recommendations include things like teaching a foreign language. But, there are also suggestions for interventions to have a focus on racial dynamics, equity and increased bias awareness for teachers.

The Illinois Commerce Commission approved a $46 million rate hike for what the company said was needed to cover various reliability investments and effort to make the transition to renewable energy. This comes on the heels of the approval of Nicor’s third increase in four years to the tune of $240 million.

Rising public pensions costs hurt states such as Connecticut, Illinois and New Jersey. While the federal bailouts helped most states’ finances recover quickly, these states were less able to prevent business failures, to provide additional tax breaks for cash-strapped businesses, or to avoid massive cuts in state and local government payrolls.

New COVID-19 cases have surged across Illinois, leading some state leaders to question why the only state east of the Mississippi with a universal mask mandate is seeing worse case rates than those without a mandate.

“Since the 1980s, the suburbs have been tapping into Lake Michigan as the primary source of water. But Lake Michigan is not immune to the ravages of climate change. And we’ve been ignorant in the past to the dangers posed by lead water pipes. We’re far behind in ameliorating that issue. Enter the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act…The $1.2 trillion plan — the largest such plan in a century — will provide Illinois with $3.1 billion in funding for improving our water supply and getting it to those who need it.”

Early in the pandemic, Illinois helped 10,000 homeowners who’d fallen behind on their mortgages, but that was back in 2020. This year is set to end without any money for mortgage assistance, even as $250 million is allotted for the cause. Illinois is still waiting on the federal government’s approval before it can be dispersed.

The legislation adds safeguards by expanding the definition of grooming in the criminal code, increasing resources and protections for sexual abuse survivors and their families, and requiring school districts to develop a sexual misconduct code of conduct, review employment history, and increase training for educators.

Divesting from fossil fuel companies by FY25 is an objective in the 2020 Illinois Climate Action Plan. The Chancellor explained, “We have to keep that goal of divestment from fossil fuel based companies, but it has to be done in a responsible way.”

The 2019 state law was “a positive step forward for Illinois pensions,” said Geoffrey Buswick, an analyst for S&P Global Ratings, noting that many smaller pension funds are chronically underfunded, which weighs on municipalities’ credit quality. “Will it work? There’s no guarantee,” he added.