|
|
| | |
| |
Friday, April 19, 2019
Illinois spends more per student on school administration than any other state, report finds
Education--Educators/Administrators
,
Education--Elementary and Secondary (36)
Illinois spends more on public school administrators per student than any
other state in the nation.
A new analysis of public school spending by
the Chicago-based Metropolitan Planning Council found Illinois ...
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 18, 2019
For first time, population in all Illinois' metro areas declines
Demographics, Census, Statistics
,
Economy (34)
U.S. Census data released Thursday
showed the population in every one of the state's metropolitan areas
declined in the past year for the first time.The Chicago
metropolitan area, which includes suburban cities and portions of
Wisconsin and Indiana, reported the largest population decrease in the
nation, shrinking by an ...
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 18, 2019
House Republicans holding town hall in Lake in the Hills over graduated income tax
Taxes, Graduated/Progressive
Reick, Steven--State House, 63
,
Ugaste, Dan--State House, 65
,
Weber, Tom--State House, 64
Illinois House Republicans will host a town hall meeting April 27 to discuss
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to replace the state’s constitutionally mandated flat
income tax with a graduated income tax.
The meeting will be from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Lake in
the Hills Village Hall, 600 Harvest Gate.
State Reps. Steve Reick of Woodstock, Dan...
< read more >
| |
| |
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Lawmakers to vote on adding DACA, work visa immigrants to Medicaid rolls
Immigration (99a)
,
Medicaid, Managed Care
Guzzardi, Will--State House, 39
The bill would allow legal immigrants in Illinois via the Deferred
Action for Childhood Arrivals program and on permanent work visas, known as
I-766 E...
< read more >
| |
| |
Monday, April 15, 2019
Massive borrowing binge on tap in Illinois
Bonds, Bonding, Borrowing, Debt, Credit Rating
,
Governor (44)
,
Pensions (70)
State politicians are ready to go on another borrowing binge.
According to a recent S&P presentation given to bankers and other
government officials, Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to borrow another $6 billion
from the bond market over the next year. It’s part of his plan to hike taxes,
borrow and extend debt repayments to plug the state’s budget holes. As
a banker pr...
< read more >
| |
| |
Monday, April 15, 2019
Pension Bridge: 3 State Pension Plans Bare All on Funding Messes
Pensions (70)
At Pension Bridge, Dick Ingram, Dominic
Garcia, and Glen Grell reveal how their programs ended up underfunded.
What do Illinois, New Mexico, and < read more >
| |
| |
Monday, April 15, 2019
Illinois homeowners pay nearly double the national average in property taxes
Taxes, property (87)
For all of the outcry and political promises to help property taxes,
Illinoisans still pay the second highest rates in the nation.
A report from ATTOM Data Solutions says the state’s 3.2 million homeowners
paid 2.2 percent of their home’s worth in local taxes in 2018. That’s higher
than any other state in the nation except New Jersey. The average Illinois
homeowner paid $5,00...
< read more >
| |
| |
Saturday, April 13, 2019
‘Collective Bargaining Freedom Act’ signed into law despite case appealed to SCOTUS
Governor (44)
,
Right to work
,
Unions, labor (55)
| |
| |
Friday, April 12, 2019
Measures to promote ballot access for inmates, students advance
Corrections (74)
,
Election Issues (not candidates) (39)
Aquino, Omar--State Senate, 2
,
Righter, Dale--State Senate, 55
,
Rose, Chapin--State House, 110
,
Sims Jr., Elgie--State House, 34
The House will take up a couple of measures designed to make it easier for
jail inmates and high school students to vote.
Senate Bill 2090 would require county clerks to facilitate voting for county
jail inmates who haven’t been convicted of a crime but are in jail awaiting
trial.
State Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, said his bill is straightforward and will
help ensure everyone ha...
< read more >
| |
| |
Friday, April 12, 2019
House bill offers student financial aid to undocumented immigrants
Education Funding (36a)
,
Education--Higher (37)
Hernandez, Elizabeth "Lisa"--State House, 24
,
Skillicorn, Allen--State House, 66
Bill also applies to transgender individuals who
haven’t registered for the draft
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Monroe County citizens group wants ordinance to put more restrictions on wind farms
Energy, Alternative Energy (93)
A new chapter in the Monroe County wind-farm debate begins.
The county’s Planning Commission has agreed to work with a citizens group to
identify revisions that may be needed to improve its 2012 wind-farm ordinance
in light of fast-changing technology and new information on how such farms have
affected other communities.
The near-unanimous vote (18 in favor with one absten...
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Bipartisan coalition backs Illinois' private school scholarship program
Education--Elementary and Secondary (36)
McSweeney, David--State House, 52
Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s plan to phase out the state’s private school tuition
program has new opposition in the General Assembly after a number of Democrats
joined a Republican's bill to try to keep the program through its five-year
pilot program.
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Despite ‘five-alarm fire’ over potential auction of Lincoln artifacts quieting, lawmakers seek audit of private foundation
Historic Preservation, historic sites (50)
,
Libraries/literacy (80c)
Butler, Tim--State House, 87
,
Manar, Andy--State Senate, 48
Concerns have quieted over artifacts connected to Abraham Lincoln possibly
going to auction if millions of dollars aren’t raised for a private foundation,
a couple of state lawmakers say.
The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum Foundation is a private
entity created by state statute and meant to support the public museum, which
houses valuable artifacts connected to Lincoln a...
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 11, 2019
DHS seeks bigger budget, including $107 million for higher minimum wage
Budget--State (8)
,
Human Services (75)
,
Minimum Wage (10)
Righter, Dale--State Senate, 55
,
Villivalam, Ram--State Senate, 8
The Illinois Department of Human Services, which has one of the largest line
items in the proposed budget for the coming fiscal year, is seeking additional
money to cover the cost of the state's new minimum wage and expand access to
child care assistance.
A Senate appropriations committee discussed Senate Bill 2228 this week. The
measure asks for a total of $6.8 billion for DHS. Among the vari...
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Illinois House once again approves $40,000 minimum teacher salary
Education--Educators/Administrators
Bourne, Avery---State House, 95
,
Stuart, Katie--State House, 112
It looks like some teachers in Illinois are going to get a raise this time
around.
The Illinois House once again put its stamp of approval on a plan to require schools to pay teachers at least
$40,000 a year by the 2023-...
< read more >
| |
| |
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Illinois House passes bill to allow minors STI prevention starting at 12 without parents
Children, Teens (19)
,
Health (49)
Cassidy, Kelly--State House, 14
,
Hammond, Norine--State House, 93
,
Parkhurst, Lindsay--State House, 79
,
Robinson Jr., Lamont--State House, 5
A bill that passed the Illinois House would allow at-risk minors as young as
12 to independently receive and take HIV prevention medication.
The legislation would allow minors as young as 12 to see a doctor and
receive contraceptives, including an HIV prevention drug, without notifying or
getting consent from a parent.
Sponsoring state Rep. Lamont Robinson Jr. said the bill was designe...
< read more >
| |
| |
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
Note to legislators and judges: Do your jobs!
Budget--State (8)
,
Courts (27)
,
Legislature (56)
Note to state legislators: “You are required by the state constitution to
pass a balanced budget.”
Response: “Make us.”
Note to state Supreme Court: “Please affirm the obligation of state
legislators to pass balanced budgets.”
Response: “Gee, do we have to?”
Maybe that’s an oversimplification of current conditions in...
< read more >
| |
| |
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Illinois lawmakers look to start college savings accounts
Education--Higher (37)
Gabel, Robyn--State House, 18
,
Wehrli, Grant--State House, 41
The state of Illinois may soon provide the seed money for kids in the state
to go to college.
The Illinois House last week approved a plan to create a college savings
fund for every child born or adopted in Illinois starting in 2021.
The state would provide an initial $50 investment. That $50 could grow, and
families could access the money starting when a child turns ten.
...
< read more >
| |
| |
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Republicans push back on progressive tax as debate heats up
Governor (44)
,
Taxes, Graduated/Progressive
,
Taxes, income (86)
Bailey, Darren--State House, 109
,
Batinick, Mark--State House, 97
,
Ford, La Shawn--State House, 8
,
Martwick, Robert--State House, 19
,
Welch, Emanuel "Chris"--State House, 7
The debate over how Illinois should tax income is getting heated amid
reports that the Democrats, who control both chambers of the state legislature
with supermajorities, may not have enough support to pass the graduated tax
plan that Gov. J.B. Pritzker's is counting on to stabilize the state's finances
and pay for the promises he made on the campaign trail.
Pritzker is pushing to chang...
< read more >
| |
| |
Monday, April 8, 2019
Sen. Jason Plummer: Don’t be fooled, history is repeating itself
Taxes, Graduated/Progressive
Plummer, Jason--State Senate, 54
Illinois Review
|