Senate Bill could stop drainage districts from draining tax dollars

By Ben Paoletti

03/02/2019

Illinois has more than 850 drainage districts. A bill in the Illinois Senate could eliminate some of those government units – and save the tax dollars that support them.

TAGS: consolidation, Dan McConchie, local government consolidation, property taxes, taxes

Rauner vetoes smoking ban for Illinoisans under 21

By Vincent Caruso

08/27/2018

Chicago’s legal smoking age of 21 would have been expanded statewide under the proposal.

TAGS: cigarette tax, Dan McConchie, e-cigarettes, Julie Morrison, smoking ban, tobacco, Tobacco 21

En route to Rauner’s desk: Victories for licensing reform, regulatory rollback and axing golden parachutes

06/19/2018

Nearly 600 bills are on their way to the governor, some of which would be encouraging changes to the status quo.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Carol Sente, criminal justice reform, Dan McConchie, Illinois Tollway, occupational licensing, Pam Althoff, Paul Schimpf, regulations, Thomas Cullerton, transparency

Senate bill would give voters authority to cut property taxes by referendum

By Vincent Caruso

04/27/2018

Since 1991, some Illinois counties have traded voters’ ability to influence reductions in property taxes for a statutory limit on their growth. A recent Senate bill, however, would restore voters’ ability to reduce property tax levies through referendums.

TAGS: ballot referendums, Dan McConchie, property taxes, PTELL: Property Tax Extension Limitation Law, taxes

Bill regulating school buses heads to Rauner’s desk

By Brendan Bakala

06/03/2017

House Bill 3293, which would force any person or group that is not a school district, religious organization or transportation company, but that possesses a school bus, to change the appearance of the school bus, passed the Illinois General Assembly on the last day of spring session.

TAGS: Dan McConchie, education, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Kyle McCarter

Multibillion-dollar tax hikes will only exacerbate Illinois’ weak economic activity

By Ted Dabrowski, Craig Lesner

04/13/2017

The latest report from the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability shows Illinois experienced falling tax collections, indicating trouble in the state economy. Spending reforms – not tax hikes – are what Illinois needs to right its fiscal ship and boost economic growth.

TAGS: budget, COGFA: Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Dan McConchie, Kyle McCarter, Moody's Investor Service

The latest budget proposal for Illinois: A no-tax-hike plan

By Ted Dabrowski, Craig Lesner

04/08/2017

The Taxpayer Bargain finally shifts the budget conversation in favor of taxpayers over politicians, with a plan that balances the state budget without tax hikes.

TAGS: budget, Christine Radogno, Dan McConchie, grand bargain, Illinois Senate, John Cullerton, Kyle McCarter

SB 1288 could chip away at Illinois’ crony liquor laws

03/29/2017

A bill in the Illinois Senate would provide certain alcohol producers some freedom within the state’s three-tier system – which has been maintained through measures limiting competition and benefiting the politically connected.

TAGS: Dan McConchie, Liquor Control Act, liquor laws, regulations, three-tier system

Illinois lawmaker files legislation allowing delay of legislator pay after court ruling says politicians must be paid

03/23/2017

State Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorne Woods, filed legislation March 23 that would give the Illinois Comptroller’s office discretion to delay payments to lawmakers if insufficient funding exists to do so. This came just hours after a Cook County judge said lawmakers must be paid.

TAGS: budget, Chris Welch, Dan McConchie, Illinois Comptroller, John Cullerton, Kate Cloonen, lawmaker pay, Lisa Hernandez, Mary Flowers, Mike Madigan, Pat Quinn, Silvana Tabares, Susana Mendoza

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and last among Midwest states...

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Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

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Brandi Lentz

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students