State of Illinois

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Illinois Approves Fix for FY2015 Budget Gap

The State of Illinois recently enacted legislation designed to close a $1.6 billion budget gap for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2015. This blog post reviews the causes of the operating deficit and examines Public Acts…

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More Government Consolidation and Efficiency Efforts in Illinois

The Civic Federation has long supported sensible legislation aimed at improving the efficiency and effectiveness of government operations in Illinois. The purpose of this blog is to summarize briefly consolidation legislation and…

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Civic Federation Proposes Local Government Protection Authority at Illinois House Committee Hearing

Under federal bankruptcy law, State governments decide whether and how local governments have access to Chapter 9 bankruptcy. There are 12 states that allow their local governments unfettered access to municipal bankruptcy, 12 states that…

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Governor Proposes Significant Reduction in Funding to Local Governments

Under Governor Bruce Rauner’s proposed FY2016 budget, one of the largest sources of state funding for local governments in Illinois would be reduced by half. The reduction is part of more than $4 billion in spending cuts and $2.2 billion…

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Illinois Governor Proposes ‘Hard Freeze’ of Pension Benefits

Governor Bruce Rauner’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2016 includes a new plan for reducing the State…

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Governor Proposes Shifting Capital Funding For Delayed Maintenance

Alongside his first operating budget proposed for the State of Illinois, Governor Bruce Rauner also recommended a capital budget for FY2016 that proposes shifting previously vetoed spending authority to pay for delayed maintenance at State…

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Illinois’ Most Expensive Tax Exemptions

The State of Illinois reduces its operating resources by more than 25% annually to provide individuals and businesses tax benefits through exemptions also known as tax expenditures. In FY2013, the most recent year that…

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State of Illinois FY2016 Budget Roadmap

Prior to the release of the Governor’s annual budget recommendation, the Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability at the Civic Federation releases an analysis of the State of Illinois’ fiscal condition and proposes a comprehensive…

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Comparing Investment Return Assumptions of Illinois Pension Funds to National Trends

At the end of December, the Illinois Auditor General released the State Actuary’s annual report on the…

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Illinois Reduces Revenue Estimates for Corporate Income Taxes

The State of Illinois projected a major loss of income tax revenues in FY2015 due to the reduced rates for individuals and corporations that took effect on January 1, 2015. However, corporate income taxes have taken a steeper decline than…