According to two new reports by Construction Coverage, Illinois ranked 48th out of 50 U.S. states for new home construction last year while leading the nation in construction worker pay.

Brad Weisenstein, of the Illinois Policy Institute: “A decade ago, there were over 12,000 retirees getting at least that amount in retirement income. Now, there are nearly 32,000 in the $100k club. An extra 20,000 government retirees making that much is a sign Illinois’ public pension systems are out of control. Plus, there are many more state retirees getting close to that benchmark: the state’s 239,384 pensioners now average $93,558.”

Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Legal Reform: At a time of significant economic uncertainty, the last thing Illinois needs is to discourage businesses from setting up shop in the Prairie State.

Employers with Illinois workers should be aware of several proposed new employment laws and amendments to existing laws that may be enacted if signed by the Governor later this year.

All cryptocurrency operators could soon be required to register with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. One proposal could set transaction limits, a maximum withdrawal fee and create a live customer service portal. The other legislation would require operators to be transparent about the risks involved with their products, services and virtual currency by providing disclosures to customers.

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker led a group of 17 governors to ask Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to release the nearly $6.8 billion being withheld from schools across the U.S.