Coalition members and Illinois state Rep. Will Guzzard said, “We are going to treat those unrealized gains like income, because that’s what they are for these billionaires, they’re not making income from going to work and getting paid a salary like the rest of us do, they make their income from moving around these esoteric financial instruments and its time we tax that just like we tax the income for everybody else.”

“That’s not something that I’m focused on in this session. We’ve done lots of work to balance the budget and close corporate loopholes,” Gov. JB Pritzker said, speaking to reporters by phone from the Davos, Switzerland economic forum. Pritzker said he wants to work on property tax relief.

David Greising, of the Better Government Association: “If Pritzker returns to Davos in 2024, it shouldn’t be just him and staff again. To make the trip worth repeating, he might consider organizing a posse of business leaders — and putting together a plan to get business done.”

This lawsuit filed Thursday tells the story of nine kids who spent anywhere from 45 days to six months wrongfully incarcerated. As of Thursday evening, seven kids were still locked up when they should not have been, according to Cook County Public Guardian Charles Golbert. Between them, those seven kids have logged over 239 days under lock and key for doing nothing wrong.

During a conference call with members of Illinois’ media Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker addressed critics who said he’s “hobnobbing” with “leftist global elites.” He responded, “It’s important for Illinois to be seen on a world stage as a destination for the companies that exist across the world.”

“I do not believe defaulting on our national debt is a prudent decision for our credibility, or our economic and financial stability,” U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood said. “However, we must take steps to reduce our debt and limit out-of-control spending coming from Washington.”

In particular, Pritzker touted Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act and the $45 billion capital infrastructure plan known as Rebuild Illinois. “We’ve made it very clear when looking for nation-leading legislation, and leadership on fighting climate change and clean energy developments, that you don’t need to stop at the coastal states,” Pritzker added.

The drop in union membership among Illinois workers continues a 33-year downward trend for the state, which saw union membership at 20.8% in 1989 compared to 13.1% in 2022.

In New York and Illinois, for example, the proposed bills would change the rules around capital gains and estate taxes to tax unrealized gains even if an individual hasn’t sold the asset. This so-called mark-to-market form of taxation has been proposed at the federal level by Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The Opening Doors program is designed to aid lower-income people of color who have historically faced steeper barriers in their path toward homeownership with $6,000 in forgivable assistance for a down payment and/or closing costs. Originally launched in December 2020, Opening Doors has assisted more than 7,100 homebuyers with $43 million in Rebuild Illinois capital funds.

In a statement, IDHS said it had to correct a “technical issue,” that caused the backlog.

“Basically every major gas and electric utility in Illinois has filed for a rate increase at once,” Illinois Public Interest Research Group director Abe Scarr said. He said the timing has to do with changing state regulations, including the expiration of laws that largely removed authority from the Illinois Commerce Commission.

IDHS Inspector General Peter Neumer is asking legislators for a change in law that would allow his office to report workers engaged in similar misconduct to an existing statewide registry. Under the current system, state workers who help their colleagues by lying to or misleading investigators can face termination if they’re caught, but findings against them can’t be reported to the registry and nothing would prevent them from going to work in another health care setting.

Once signed, beginning January 1, 2024, the Act will require nearly all covered Illinois employers to provide its covered employees up to 40 hours of paid leave per year, to be used “for any purpose.” The Act applies to all employers in Illinois, including units of state and local government and government agencies. It does not, however, cover school districts organized under the School Code or park districts organized under the Park District Code.

“This hard-bound copy of the historical record is offered as a limited edition and signed by Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who served on the committee. All proceeds will benefit charitable organizations working to uphold and defend democracy in America,” a description of the book says on the website for Kinzinger’s Country First PAC.

As the state of Illinois prepares to integrate more electric vehicles into its economy, the five-time senator acknowledged that the federal government must find a way to recoup a significant loss of motor fuel tax revenue. “It is not unfair to say to the drivers of vehicles, even electric vehicles, ‘Are you prepared to pay your fair share of some of the infrastructure in America if you keep up with the growth of the economy?'”

When asked for clarification on the meaning of Pritzker’s remarks about “reluctant members of his (President Joe Biden’s) own party,” Jordan Abudayyeh, the governor’s deputy chief of staff for communications, said, “I think the Governor’s words were pretty clear here and I’ll let them speak for [themselves].”