Illinois police, firefighters push back on state control of pensions

By Patrick Andriesen

12/06/2021

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a bill to consolidate local police and firefighter pensions from across downstate Illinois, but beneficiaries are suing because the state is notorious for poor pension management.

TAGS: consolidation, government unions, Illinois, pensions

Classrooms First Act unanimously passes Illinois House committee

By Brad Weisenstein

03/24/2021

A bill to channel education dollars from duplicate bureaucracy and into classrooms or back to property taxpayers won committee approval. It is headed for a full vote in the Illinois House.

TAGS: administrative bloat, Classrooms First Act, consolidation, Rita Mayfield, school district efficiency

Three myths about district consolidation under the Classrooms First Act

03/24/2021

A bill that could reduce property taxes and improve education quality faces a misinformation campaign from school district administrators seeking to preserve wasteful bureaucracy. Here are the facts about the Classrooms First Act.

TAGS: administrative bloat, consolidation, Rita Mayfield, school district efficiency

Consolidating school districts could cut family’s tax bill by $1,030

03/23/2021

House Bill 7 would create a process to review and recommend consolidating school district administration, with the goal of cutting bureaucracy so the money goes to classrooms or back to taxpayers.

TAGS: administrative bloat, Classrooms First Act, consolidation, Rita Mayfield, school district efficiency

113 six-figure school district administrators oppose Classrooms First Act

By Patrick Andriesen

03/22/2021

Of the 113 school district administrators earning six-figure salaries who oppose a bill to reduce bureaucracy, 21 are above the $200,000 mark. The bill intends to put more money into classrooms or back in taxpayers’ pockets.

TAGS: administrative bloat, Classrooms First Act, consolidation, property taxes, school district efficiency

Illinois wastes taxes supporting too many school district bureaucracies

02/25/2020

Illinois could put $708 million more toward classrooms or property tax relief if it reduced school district bureaucracy to national average.

TAGS: administrative bloat, consolidation, education bureaucracy, education spending, Rita Mayfield, school district efficiency

2019 laws in review, Illinois lawmakers passed both nice and naughty bills

12/20/2019

The Illinois General Assembly passed over 600 new laws in 2019. Some helped taxpayers, but many more hurt as they spent $85 billion while doing little to fix the pension crisis.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, capital plan, consolidation, Cook County, corruption, expungement, free speech, gas tax, government unions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Open Illinois Checkbook, progressive income tax, record sealing, Springfield, tax hikes, taxes, transparency, vehicle registration

Pritzker signs pension sweetener bill without knowing the cost

12/20/2019

Illinois’ pension crisis is the nation’s worst. Maybe that’s because elected officials take a problem they aren’t sure exists, apply a solution they don’t know will work and never determine the cost.

TAGS: bipartisan, consolidation, constitutional amendment, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, safe harbor, Springfield

Illinois Senate president backs bill merging police, fire pension funds

By Brad Weisenstein

11/08/2019

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is championing a bill to merge more than 640 local police and fire pension funds into two investment pools. With lawmakers returning to Springfield for veto session, action on the bill may be near.

TAGS: consolidation, John Cullerton, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions

Pension consolidation is a tiny step in fixing Illinois’ gigantic problem

10/28/2019

If Illinois groups could come together to bring the same enthusiasm and support to a constitutional amendment, the state could fix its pension problem once and for all.

TAGS: consolidation, JB Pritzker, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions