Written by David E. Smith
In addition to voting for federal, state and local candidates, Illinois voters have the opportunity to vote on three advisory questions when casting ballots in the upcoming election. These are non-binding questions and will only function as an official poll of the voting public. However, the results are likely to be used by state lawmakers in the next legislative session in Springfield.
These advisory questions were placed on the general election ballot after Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly passed SB 2412, signed by Governor JB Pritzker on May 3, 2024.… Continue Reading
Written by David E. Smith
In the wee hours of the morning, Democrats — who control the Illinois House of Representatives — approved a $53.1 billion budget for the 2025 fiscal year. The 3,374 page budget, plus supplemental spending bills, had already been approved by Democrats — who control the Illinois Senate — on Sunday evening.
The budget includes a significant increase in spending — $400 million more than what Governor J.B. Pritzker had initially proposed.
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Tags: abortion, Brad Halbrook, Chris Miller, Collin Moseley, Healthcare, illegal immigrants, Illinois Budget, Illinois Democrats, Illinois Freedom Caucus, Illinois Taxes, JB Pritzker, Mounjaro, Ozempic, taxes, Wegovy
Illinois Politics | David E. Smith | 
May 29, 2024 8:00 AM | 
Comments Off on Illinois Tax and Spend Budget for FY 2025
Written by David E. Smith
In this week’s podcast episode, Illinois Family Institute lobbyist Ralph Rivera and contract lobbyist Mark Johnson join Monte Larrick to discuss some of the action, and inaction, that occurred during the spring Illinois General Assembly session.
Rivera and Johnson weigh in on Illinois’ new budget, the possibility of a tax increase after the November election and the House resolution proposing a progressive income (“fair tax”) plan, as well as the danger of an even greater Illinois Exodus than we’ve experienced to date.… Continue Reading
Tags: Bruce Rauner, casino gambling, Donald Trump, HB 40, LBGTQIA Curriculum Mandate, recreational marijuana, SB 1564, taxes, taxpayer funding of abortion, video gambling
Illinois Politics | David E. Smith | June 13, 2018 6:57 AM | Comments Off on SPOTLIGHT: Illinois General Assembly Session Recap
John Biver, the Special Projects Manager for the Illinois Family Institute, joins Monte Larrick and David Smith to talk about the recent tax increase coming from Springfield.
The second half of the show, due to technical difficulties, had to be redone without Monte. However, Dave and John discuss statements made on the IPM (Illinois Public Media) podcast known as the 21st by Illinois state representative from the 110th district Reggie Phillips (R-Charleston) and former governor Jim Edgar (R-Illinois).… Continue Reading
Written by Benjamin Yount
The fee that supports 911 systems across the state is going up under a law that lawmakers approved against Gov. Bruce Rauner’s wishes.
The law also keeps the 911 services operational statewide.
Outside of Chicago, phone users are going to pay $1.50 a month for 911 service. Chicago’s 911 fee will jump to $5 to pay for pensions, not 911 service.
State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard), said it’s not that lawmakers wanted to end 911 services, they just wanted to settle on fair fees.… Continue Reading
Written by John Biver
On Monday, the Illinois News Network featured as its top story the above headline with this lead:
State Rep. Jeanne Ives blasted her Democrat colleagues in the Illinois House for removing her as chief sponsor of a Senate bill that would increase taxes on Illinoisans by $5.4 billion.
For the record, Illinois Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) is a staunch opponent of tax increases. So why in the world would she sponsor a tax increase?… Continue Reading
From the Chicago City Wire
The president of a company that moved from Illinois to Indiana said recently on a Chicago radio talk show that he looks back on Illinois and hopes one day the state will get its act together.
“It’s kind of a double-edge sword,” Hoist Lifttruck President Vincent Flaska said during a recent edition of “Illinois Rising.” “I still live in Illinois, and I want to see Illinois succeed. But the problem that they have is that they need to get rid of how their tax credits function.
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Written by Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner
Illinois Senate members have a drafted a new budget plan that relies on multibillion-dollar tax hikes, but little in structural spending reforms.
The plan punishes taxpayers with more than $5 billion in additional income and other taxes, borrows $7 billion from the bond market and adds casinos in Chicago – none of which provide relief to struggling Illinoisans. The plan also leaves pensions unreformed, does little to workers’ compensation costs and burdens job creators with a higher minimum wage cost.
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Written by David E. Smith
Earlier this week, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and his minions in the Chicago City Council passed a massive tax hike that will COST most city homeowners $600-$800 MORE in taxes (maybe more) so that the Left’s BIG GOVERNMENT can continue to inefficiently flounder under one Party rule. This tax increase is on top of the Cook County 1 percent sales tax hike that starts on Jan. 1, 2016.
Yes, I intended to say “flounder.” … Continue Reading
Written by Benjamin BanMetre
Illinois began August with a $4.4 billion dollar backlog of unpaid bills. If lawmakers would have kept the promises they made in 2011, the backlog would be zero today – or close to it.
In January 2011, Illinois lawmakers pushed through a record tax hike that raised the income tax rate on individuals to 5 percent from 3 percent, and on corporations to 7 percent from 4.8 percent. They called it the Taxpayer Accountability and Budget Stabilization Act and went on record making the following promises:
“We have some temporary tax increases that are designed to pay our bills, get Illinois back on fiscal sound footing and make sure that our state has a strong economy.”
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