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“Lots of politicians employ policy gimmicks in election years, but Illinois has turned the practice into a high art.”
In December, the Illinois Legislature passed new rules that require all fees to be split evenly between the local bars and the “terminal operators” – the companies that own and supply the gambling machines. “The only guy who gets hurt on this, or the only business to get hurt, are our small businesses. The ones who weathered the storm of the pandemic,” Councilman Sid Ruckriegel said.
With shootings and homicides both down after a historically violent 2021, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said the department is now prioritizing 55 police beats that account for half the violence in the city.
“In a municipality we have very few tools to use to shore up police pensions, labor pensions, municipal pensions other than raising property taxes. Nobody wants to do that. Least of all, me,” Mayor Lightfoot said.
“While we appreciate the efforts that both the CTA and Chicago Police Department recently have made to increase passenger and employee safety on trains and buses throughout the CTA’s network, more needs to be done to protect CTA’s frontline workers and passengers given the alarming increase in crime on the CTA system,” reads a letter from U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin and Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García to Chicago Transit Authority President Dorval Carter.
“There’s a big trend here about how to protect your stores so you don’t leave Chicago, said Tim Clancy. His Action K-9 Security could be part of continued ramped up private security efforts popping up across the city, with crime continuing to spike.
Local municipalities retain the right to establish their own mitigations, including masking requirements on public transportation, the governor’s office said.
Josh Sharp with the Illinois Fuel and Retail Association said their board voted Tuesday to file a lawsuit. He said there’s a place for signs about fire safety or octane ratings, but the speech compelled by the law Pritzker signed “is of a different sort” during an election year. “…(A)nd to us, again, forcing retailers to post those signs under the threats of fines or penalties is unconstitutional.”
“Our plans and our mitigations are in place as they have been, we want to encourage local governments and businesses to take actions that they think will keep their patrons, their local residents safe,” Pritzker said. “We’re going to continue to report on how we’re doing as a state very importantly so that people can take the mitigation measures home and decide for themselves how they want to operate.”
Politics aside, Adam Schuster with Illinois Policy Institute said the budget doesn’t do anything to bring structural reforms like changing the state’s pension system, something he says takes about a quarter of every tax dollar the state brings in. “So throwing more money at a black hole of debt is not the way to solve Illinois’ pension crisis.”
Senate Bill 3023 passed both chambers unanimously and would allow for reimbursement by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services’ Sexual Assault Emergency Treatment Program if a victim of a sexual assault chooses not to share that assault with their medical provider.
The content of the signs isn’t quite as important as the message being delivered to Illinois’ gas station owners: “Push our campaign agenda, or we’ll treat you like a criminal and fine you $500 per day.”
Crossing the state line is the difference between paying the nation’s second-highest and second-lowest gas taxes. And for Illinois gas station owners near state lines, it means losing business. “It’s like a tale of two cities,” said Robert Forsyth, president of MotoMart Inc. “Missouri is doing quite well in terms of fuel demand. And Illinois is doing quite poorly.”
Civics teacher Froylan Jimenez: “A former Illinois state senator-turned-U.S.-president once said: ‘A budget is more than just a series of numbers on a page; it is an embodiment of our values.’ This statement captures the fiscal decisions the Illinois General Assembly has taken recently.”
A statement from ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy reads, in part, ” What Pritzker’s budget doesn’t do is give permanent tax relief to overtaxed Illinoisans, fully replenish the unemployment trust fund, or construct a path to budget stability for when the federal bailout cash runs out soon.”
“Gates understands the frustration, particularly around strikes. But, she argues, historical wrongs aren’t quickly righted. ‘These are very difficult human conditions that we’re trying to make sense of,’ she says. ‘The impact of historical, generational disinvestment on the South Side and West Side of the city is difficult for people who are experiencing it to challenge, because it’s every day and it covers all facets of their existence. And for those who are not experiencing that in the same way, it is difficult to even grasp why this is happening.'”
Chicago’s economy has bounced back strongly from COVID-19—and anyone who disputes that is listening to “naysayers and skeptics” rather than citing true facts. “There is a narrative out there that the city is headed in the wrong direction,” Lightfoot said in remarks as prepared for delivery. “That noise is completely belied by these objective data points, which show a very robust economy that is creating jobs and opportunity.”
This position will be responsible for developing college-wide programs that focus on “cultural competency, racial healing and reconciliation, counternarratives, community building, restorative justice, equity, and inclusion responsive to the ongoing needs of all constituents at NIU,” according to the description.
Senate Bill 157 lowers the tax rate on clothes and school supplies from 6.25% to 1.25% for 10-days from Aug. 5-14, according to State Sen. Rachelle Crowe.
While preschool programs will be available in 64 of the 77 city communities for the 2022-2023 school year, plans call for programs in all 77 communities by fall 2023.
The budget comes from a freeze on the motor-fuel tax, a year-long hiatus on grocery sales taxes, a per-household property tax reimbursement of up to $300 and an increased tax credit to the low-income working families.
Lawsuit abuse qualifies as any improper legal action made with malicious or selfish intentions. These abuses in Illinois resulted in annual average direct costs of more than $12.03 billion, state gross product losses of $19.43 billion and more than 192,600 lost jobs, according to the report. Additionally, state government losses totaled more than $1 billion, with local governments losing $840 million on average, annually.
The Economic Policy Institute, along with Illinois, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Florida, Michigan, Tennessee, and Colorado are calling for reforms in their state governments to get corporations, especially large ones like Amazon and Comcast, to pay their share of the taxes.
“I think Americans and Chicagoans are ready to get back to mask-free,” one O’Hare traveler said.
The pattern here is clear,” observes the Foundation for Economic Education, regarding the startling demographic shift. “Americans are fleeing highly regulated, highly taxed states. They are flocking to freer states.”
What do most progressive priorities today have in common? Think about it, and you may find that most are intended to alleviate the pain caused by earlier progressive policies. That’s the common denominator. Consider some examples of recent initiatives and legislation in Chicago, Cook County and state government, all of which are run by progressives.
Lawmakers have declared the 2023 budget responsible and historic, a win for the middle class, and more. All of their celebrations ignore a simple fact. Revenues are up, deficits are papered over and Illinois’ credit ratings are improved for one reason: the Fed’s unprecedented $200 billion stimulus. The reality is Illinois remains at the bottom of the barrel nationally.
State Rep. Mark Batinick said soaring gasoline prices mean the sales tax on gasoline could bring in $400 million more than the state of Illinois expected just two months ago.
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