Government
State losing young workers in record numbers
Calling it a sign of economic and political crises, the Illinois Policy Institute said the state is losing residents much faster than its neighbors.
Illinois Policy Institute
Recent News About Illinois Policy Institute
Government
State's pension-debt crisis lingers as solutions seem to remain elusive
Illinois' public pension crisis has been bumped out of the headlines by the Nov. 8 presidential election and other attention-grabbers, but the crisis hasn't gone away, the vice president of a Chicago-based conservative think tank said in a recent article.
Government
Study linking legislator pay to fundraising may prompt calls for pay cuts
A newly released study that indicates higher-paid legislators spend more time fundraising than legislating prompted a conservative think-tank founder to ponder whether Illinois voters should consider reducing legislator pay.
Government
Naperville litigation result of too many jurisdictions statewide
The legal tussle between Naperville Township and the Naperville Township Road District is emblematic of the problems caused in Illinois, a state with almost 7,000 units of local government, a writer for a Chicago-based conservative think tank said in a recent article.
Government
If Illinois Dems win big, they risk owning way more than just victory
While online campaigning and phone polling are changing the way elections happen, Democrats in Springfield may find themselves in an unfamiliar position if they should win a super-majority next week, a Chicago-area political reporter said during a radio interview.
Government
Illinois taxpayers must demand that legislators reform pension system, analyst says
Illinois taxpayers need to send a clear message to the General Assembly to work with the governor and tackle the state's trillions of dollars in unfunded pension liabilities, the president of a government advisory group said during a recent radio interview.
Government
Analyst: Legislators love constitutional amendments -- that don't affect them
On Tuesday, voters in Illinois will vote on a constitutional amendment aimed at locking away transportation funds and preventing those funds from being spent for other purposes -- a measure that has opponents.
Government
Analyst: Illinois must create less-hostile tax climate to retain residents, businesses
Illinois needs to diversify its tax base and make changes to become more competitive if it wants to stem the tide of people leaving the state, an analyst for an independent policy organization said during a recent radio show interview.
Government
Critics say teacher pension pickups oppress taxpayers
One of the biggest wins for the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) when it scored a victory through a new four-year contract is that pension pickups were preserved; but what is good for teachers is not always what is good for everyone else as the plan stands to cost taxpayers a fortune.
Government
Think-tank analysts scold Madigan for not wanting to release tax returns
The co-founders of a Chicago-based conservative public-policy think tank recently challenged an assertion by House Speaker Mike Madigan's (D-Chicago) spokesman that Madigan shouldn't have to release his tax returns as Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has done.
Government
Think tank: AFSCME an '800-pound gorilla' that bullies state, taxpayers
Terming the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) an “800-pound gorilla at the negotiating table,” the Illinois Policy Institute recently examined the relationship between the union and Illinois workers, suggesting that the balance of power tends to tilt toward the union.
Government
Four more manufacturers flee to states with less-hostile business climates
Four Illinois manufacturers announced in October that they are leaving Illinois and relocating to bordering states to open up new plants facing less regulation.
Government
Think tank: Further talks between state, AFSCME would be waste of time
The state's largest public employee union is calling for Gov. Bruce Rauner to continue negotiating after talks were declared to be at an impasse earlier this month, but further talks with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) would be pointless, an attorney for a Chicago-based think tank said recently.
Government
Report: State's pension debt soars 17 percent to $130 billion this year
Already struggling under a multi-tiered fiscal burden, Illinois taxpayers are now confronting incontrovertible evidence of serious fiscal setbacks in their state as a new report revealed staggering amounts of pension debt and escalating red ink.
Government
Proposal would replace pensions with 401(k)-style plans for new public hires
With Illinois' state pension liability 17 percent more than it was last year, the vice president of a Chicago-based think tank recently said that 401(k)-style plans for public employees would go a long way toward easing the pension crisis.