Matt Paprocki, of the Illinois Policy Institute: “Business tax hikes would deter job creation and further hurt Illinois’ business climate. In 2021, Illinois’ unemployment rate remained higher than neighboring states while job creation lagged the national rate. We need businesses to grow and get stronger, not be hindered by higher taxes resulting from poor policy decisions.”

DeVore said the state of Illinois needs “elected officials that support the idea that the people govern….I wonder if the state of Illinois has anybody that might be interested?” he mused, drawing applause from the crowd.

Until now, Pritzker has seen his emergency orders throughout the pandemic upheld by the courts — and the appellate court’s action did not address the legality of the governor’s use of emergency powers.

So here ends the take of the approval of the Tier 2 pension system, with no actuarial review, no opportunity for anyone but the backroom negotiators to assess the changes before the vote was taken, and the need to take on faith the claim of $100 billion in savings. Is there anything in here that is a surprise? No. Is this sort of legislating unique to Illinois? Also no. But I think there’s still some value in observing our legislators in action.

“Much of the withheld information could help state and local health officials better target their efforts to bring the virus under control. Detailed, timely data on hospitalizations by age and race would help health officials identify and help the populations at highest risk. Information on hospitalizations and death by age and vaccination status would have helped inform whether healthy adults needed booster shots. And wastewater surveillance across the nation would spot outbreaks and emerging variants early. Without the booster data for 18- to 49-year-olds, the outside experts whom federal health agencies look to for advice had to rely on numbers

Comment: This is an appropriate place to add our occasional reminder that we link to stories from all sources and articles we don’t agree with. Regular Wirepoints readers will already know why the supposed evidence cited by BGA herein is junk.

The Illinois State Board of Education won’t say if they’ll continue to pursue nonrecognition status for the growing number of schools that are going mask optional in defiance of Pritkzer’s insistence that his orders still stand.

One measure seeks to extend from 90 days to 120 days the amount of time prosecutors have to take a case to trial before a defendant would have to be released. Another bill would increase penalties for attempting to strangle a person in a domestic violence situation.

“Illinois Senator Brian Stewart (R) introduced Senate Bill 3119, legislation that would impose a 10% excise tax on the book value of assets or liabilities, whichever is greater, of a bank that has been purchased by a credit union…If SB 3119 is enacted and the tax raises no revenue because credit unions decline to acquire banks as a result, proponents of the tax will have achieved their goal.”

“It’s economic illiteracy to believe inflation is not running hot and has been for a long time. Every person on the Fed is guilty of not understanding what inflation is. They are also all guilty of ignoring Fed-sponsored clear asset bubbles.”

An Illinois Senate bill introduced in late January looks to extend an existing tax incentive for data centers to crypto mining.

Budgets, nutrient loss reduction, agritourism liability and grants for minority farmers are all bill topics Illinois Farm Bureau is keeping an eye on at the state capitol.

During his budget address Feb. 2, Pritzker said that those without the state’s best interests in mind will not be at the “grown-up table” regarding negotiations. State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, said the lawmakers and the governor should be working together on what’s best for the people.

“[I]t seems clear that anyone who takes it for granted that mask mandates have played a crucial role in controlling the spread of COVID-19 is making a series of assumptions that are not justified by the evidence.”

“There will soon be no statewide mask mandates on the mainland United States, if all goes according to plan. California and New York have yet to announce an end to their school requirements. And school mask mandates in Illinois and Maryland are being contested in court.”

“Just as elites led us into this mess, the way out is unlikely to come from “experts” or the elite institutions that have fostered a climate of close-minded authoritarian disregard for the nuances of scientific work and openly show their contempt for people who hold opposing points of view. Instead, we see hope in the voices of dissent.”