By Jamey Dunn With the new year comes some new developments for Illinois Issues. As part of our merger with WUIS, we are rolling out some new strategies, which I described in my January Editor'...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2015/01/visit-us-at-our-new-online-home.html
The state’s median income has not increased since 2008, according to numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau. The median household income for Illinois in 2013 was $56, 210—the same as it was i...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/wages-stagnant-in-illinois.html
The Illinois department of Public Health began accepting applications from patients and caregivers for the medical marijuana pilot program today. The state will take applications from patients ...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/09/state-accepting-patient-applications.html
By Jamey Dunn As you may have noticed, things have been pretty quiet here at the Illinois Issues blog. The cause for my lapse in posting is that the magazine is merging with WUIS, the publi...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/08/some-questions-for-our-readers.html
By Jamey Dunn Dueling court rulings handed down today put the future of a key piece of Obamacare into question, but for now, nothing will change about the way the law is implemented in Illinois...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/despite-court-rulings-obamacare.html
A recent study found that Illinois has fewer than one statehouse reporter for every 500,000 residents. The Pew Research Journalism project took a look at statehouse press corps in all 50 states...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/illinois-ranks-low-in-statehouse.html
By Jamey Dunn A new report on statehouse press corps found that as the number of full-time reporters shrinks, new media outlets and political communication staffs seek to fill the gaps in cove...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/statehouse-news-coverage-in-illinois.html
By Jamey Dunn The Illinois Supreme court issued a ruling Thursday on state employee health care that bodes ill for supporters of the recently passed cuts to public employee retirement benefits...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/07/options-for-pension-reform-plan-b-may.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky After lawmakers were unable to agree on changes to the state’s business tax policies , some Illinois companies could lose a sales tax break set to expire this summer. The...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/legislative-inaction-threatens-some.html
Chicago Democratic Rep. Derrick Smith was convicted of accepting a bribe in exchange for official duties. Smith was caught on tape as part of a federal sting negotiating a $7,000 bribe in exc...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/rep-derrick-smith-convicted-on.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky Illinois is the first state in the nation to ban potentially hazardous plastic beads from common hygiene products. Gov. Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 2727 into law over...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/illinois-bans-plastic-microbeads.html
By Jamey Dunn The fast pace of the end of the regular legislative session can make things kind of a blur, and much of the focus tends to fall on the budget. But lawmakers considered several ot...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/06/end-of-session-roundup.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky A last minute push to change a highly scrutinized tax credit used by large corporations failed to move forward in the Senate. House Speaker Michael Madigan, who sponsored ...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/efforts-to-change-business-tax-climate.html
By Jamey Dunn The Senate approved the budget bills passed by the House earlier this week, essentially delaying the debate over a tax increase or deep cuts until after the November election. T...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/budget-postpones-tax-debate-until-after.html
By Jamey Dunn The House approved more than $1 billion in capital construction spending, the bulk of which would be spent by the Illinois Department of Transportation on “shovel ready” proje...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/house-passes-mini-capital-plan-for.html
By Jamey Dunn The House approved an increased estimate of the revenue the state will bring in next fiscal year. The new projection will match the spending that the chamber has approved over the...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/house-approves-increased-revenue.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky A House committee released a report Wednesday evaluating the tax climate for business in the state, but the group struggled to find common ground on several major issues. ...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/committee-evaluating-business-taxes.html
By Jamey Dunn The Illinois House voted Wednesday to restore several cuts to Medicaid and to tack more than $1 billion in spending onto the current fiscal year’s budget. Senate Bill 741 woul...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/house-votes-to-restore-medicaid-cuts.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky A change to the way the state doles out school funding passed in the Senate today, but a House floor vote on the bill is not expected before session is scheduled to adjourn ...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/senate-approves-changes-to-school.html
By Jamey Dunn The House passed what some have dubbed a “middle of the road” budget, which keeps many areas of state government funded at current levels. Under current law, the state will ...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/budget-middle-road-paved-with-short.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky Another potential revenue source hit a wall at the Statehouse today as a House committee rejected a proposed tax on sugary drinks. House Bill 0397 calls for a one-cent-p...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/sugary-drink-tax-fizzles-out.html
By Jamey Dunn with Caitlin Rydinsky contributing After an austere budget bill failed miserably on the House floor on Friday, House Speaker Michael Madigan said that Democrats would craft a mo...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/house-working-on-less-severe-tax.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky The House voted Friday in favor of allowing Illinoisans to voice their opinion on the November ballot about a proposal to tax income over $1 million at a higher rate. Hous...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/voters-may-get-say-on-millionaires-tax.html
By Caitlin Rydinsky Faced with the rapid rate of technological development, lawmakers find themselves questioning how soon is too soon to act when it comes to regulating new technologies. C...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/lawmakers-weigh-potential-hazards.html
By Jamey Dunn House Speaker Michael Madigan said Wednesday that a proposal to extend the current tax rates is short by nearly half the votes it would need to pass. Madigan said he told budgetin...
http://illinoisissuesblog.blogspot.com/2014/05/madigan-tells-house-committees-to-craft.html