This edition of The Policy Shop is by Director of Fiscal and Economic Research Bryce Hill. The Illinois Policy Institute was very clear about just how wrong Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was to push a hike in the real estate transfer tax to generate $100 million to address homelessness and affordable housing. Bad idea, with great potential...
A new survey of economic indicators ranks Illinois 48th in the nation on 15 measures. High taxes, slow economic growth, people moving away and high public debt all pushed the state down.
A bill expanding emergency powers for a state agency passed the Illinois Senate and is in the Illinois House. Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared COVID-19 an emergency for more than 3 years, so why is the bill needed?
Keith Bass grew up in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, where as a young man he struggled to see a productive path forward for his life. That changed when he was mentored in entrepreneurship by Walter Mendenhall through the Male Mogul Initiative. On April 11, the initiative unveiled its new small business incubator, Co-llab, with Bass as...
Illinois remains the nation’s second-most corrupt state, but despite keeping prosecutors busy the political machine keeps grinding. The cost is $550 million a year. Here are the Illinois corruption headlines for 2024.
St. Bede School in Ingleside will shut its doors without the support from Invest in Kids scholarships. Even a $500K fundraising effort failed to save the school.
Mayor Brandon Johnson has moved on from his failed tax hike and found a good answer to Chicago’s housing affordability issue. His “Cut the Tape” proposal would streamline the housing and commercial development process, increasing the supply and affordability.
In Illinois’ fifth year of recreational cannabis sales, it’s already made nearly $180 million in tax revenue. But it is losing sales to neighboring states with lower taxes.
Private education excels and school choice help students across race and income demographics. So why are teachers unions working against parents having choices and students excelling?
Jobs are the best way to escape poverty, but the workplace will continue to change rapidly. To ensure Illinoisans don’t lose the jobs that lift them up, job skills will need to evolve along with education.
The federal government sees giving high school students college credit for advanced courses as a big win. Teachers unions see it as a job threat, so they are working to limit students’ potential.
Assaults were up 7% for the year ended in March. Black Chicagoans were 5 times more likely to be assaulted, with Black women assaulted nearly as often as Black men – a much higher rate than women of other races. There’s a disturbing trend of targeted violence.
A 142-page leaked document contains hundreds of Chicago Teachers Union contract demands, from 100% abortion coverage to pay for surrogates, from housing students in old schools to a fleet of electric school buses. Then there are 180 more of the union’s favored, failing schools.