Voters near O’Hare International Airport will have a chance to weigh in on whether to keep or cut the 1% grocery tax. The statewide tax ends in 2026, but nearly 50 communities have already passed their own 1% grocery tax.
Each Chicago taxpayer is on the hook for $40,600 in city debt today, the second most among major U.S. cities. Add in the debt Illinois state leaders grew last year, and Chicago taxpayers owe nearly $80,000.
House Bill 2574 aims to empower parents and taxpayers with more access to information about the Illinois State Board of Education’s spending.
Illinoisans will wager roughly $400M during March Madness based on last year’s numbers. Sportsbooks in Illinois will also be paying a higher tax than ever before.
There’s another push in Springfield to tax motorists by the mile. Illinoisans already pay the second-highest gas taxes in the nation behind only California.
A new bill in Springfield would require the Chicago Bears and other teams to have a few winning seasons before they can expect taxpayer help for stadiums.
Illinois families will pay the highest combined state and local tax burden in the nation this year on the median U.S. income. That’s $13,099, which will consume more than 16.5% of their money.
Illinois is dead last of the 50 states in its ability to handle a financial crisis. It couldn’t last a month. The rainy-day fund that should be its primary reserve, and that Gov. J.B. Pritzker lauded himself for refilling, could barely cover two weeks.
The latest forecast from the Illinois General Assembly estimates Illinois will have $737 million to $1.2 billion less in revenue than Gov. J.B. Pritzker hopes to spend.
Newer state employees would get a $13 billion pension benefit boost if Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s fiscal year 2026 budget proposal passes. What should be a minor fix is being used to create an even bigger Illinois pension mess.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson plans to add 50 new speed cameras to city streets during the coming year to add $11.4 million from fines and fees to his deficit budget.
Illinois has some of the highest property taxes in the country. Chapter 9 would allow local governments to address the root cause.