Said Gov. JB Pritzker, “This is just one of the ways that we are building long-term financial sustainability—and we are seeing tangible results in real-time. From tax relief for Illinoisans to our six credit rating upgrades, we are creating an Illinois that is economically prosperous for all.”

“(T)oday’s economic report makes one thing crystal clear: despite oil prices falling 20% late last month, oil executives are still refusing to fully pass along those savings to working Americans,” U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth wrote in a statement. “And Big Oil will only continue to pocket outrageous profits from Putin’s war of choice if we let them, which is why we need to pass my legislation to finally ban gas price gouging during an international crisis.”

“The checks will be around $3 a month for the next three years,” said Abe Scarr of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group. “So it’s not incredibly significant, but it will hopefully balance out a little bit of this pending [utility] rate increase…I do have some worries that ComEd is using these refunds, which is the customer’s money to begin with, to clean up previous issues.”

Todd Maisch, CEO of the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, said the signs ahead are troubling. “Even the great success story for the state of Illinois, Rivian Motors, up the road in Bloomington have announced job cuts. Unfortunately you’re going to see more of those coming.”

Pritzker’s latest disaster declaration runs through July 24, and he noted in a June 30 interview he plans to continue to issue the orders while ramping down their scope. The latest executive order does not reissue vaccine mandates for emergency services personnel or higher education employees or students. Mandates will remain in place at K-12 schools and day cares.

At least four Democratic-led states with budget surpluses this year have chosen not to fully repay the federal government for money borrowed to fund unemployment benefits, a move that will impose increased charges on businesses to help make up the difference. California, Connecticut, Illinois and New York have directed surplus funds to social programs and taxpayer rebates, among other causes, leaving unpaid debts to the federal government ranging from tens of millions of dollars to more than $15 billion.

Illinois is an odd little outlier for the No. 2 spot on this list, as its annual average property taxes are lower than others that fall lower on the list, as is its annual home value. However, it’s the property tax rate of nearly 2% that earns it this high spot.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker will be the keynote speaker at the annual Leadership Blue Gala Saturday in Tampa. Pritzker’s decision visit to Florida will also be sure to stoke longrunning whispers about a possible presidential bid, especially since he’s spending time in the home state of Gov. Ron DeSantis, himself a potential GOP presidential candidate.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 818 last year that aligns the state’s sex ed standards with the National Sex Education Standards. If a district teaches sex ed, they have to follow the standards.

Regarding her suspension, (Emma Woodhouse, Dr. Jessica Hockett’s pen name) told the Thinker that “It’s suppression of freedom of speech. It’s conservative-leaning, but The Wall Street Journal is a venerable news institution in the United States, like them or not.”

Governor Pritzker has reduced requirements for school exclusion, removed provisions relating to setting up alternative care facilities, returned to non-emergency hospital oversight by removing several provisions and restarted normal jail-to-prison transfers.

The Volcker Alliance, a non-partisan government watchdog, has issued a new report showing Illinois is at risk of facing a “fiscal cliff” once one-time federal relief funds dry up. That means the state will have to either cut programs or raise revenues to maintain spending that has been enabled by the federal funds, once those funds run out.

Board President Brandon Ewing said that while the goal is not necessarily increasing the graduation rate, an equity review will eliminate requirements which make it harder for some teens to graduate.