Illinois Rising

Mayor Lightfoot said her budget proposal increases police funding, but it’s actually down when adjusted for inflation. And, by the way, property taxes are going up — again.

Illinois residents pay the second highest property taxes in the nation. In fact, property tax bills here can be just as high as your mortgage payment. These absurdly high property taxes force many families to leave the state, or worse, lose their homes altogether. It’s one thing if high taxes come with great government services. But Illinois schools perform below the national average on standardized testing, and more than a third of every dollar that’s supposed to go to classrooms actually goes to public pensions and debt. How did we get here?

Illinoisans pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation. In fact, all the other state and local taxes we pay add up to one of the highest financial burdens in the U.S. So how come our grandchildren will still inherit $219 billion in debt from the state – roughly $45,000 for every household? Adam Schuster, senior director of budget and tax research at the Illinois Policy Institute, explains how Illinois’ pension crisis grew to be the worst in the nation, and what steps Illinoisans can take to fix it.

The goal of education gets thrown out of whack all too often by the leaders of the teachers’ unions, who focus too much on political power and not enough on being good stewards for their members and the public education system.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is campaigning for re-election by claiming he has balanced Illinois’ budgets and managed its pension funds well. Both of those claims are inaccurate, Adam Schuster explains, and deep, structural issues are to blame. The senior director of budget and tax research dives into what the numbers show for Illinois’ finances and how the state can actually right its course.

Unemployment, underemployment, joblessness, hiring struggles – every type of job news seems to be floating around this month. But how are things actually looking here at home in Illinois? Chief Economist Orphe Divounguy joins host Hilary Gowins to explore what the numbers really show us about what sectors are recovering fastest – and which segments of Illinois’ population are being left behind.

One of the cornerstones of a vibrant democracy is citizens’ ability to influence government through voting. But what happens when voters only have one choice on the ballot? In an average election year in Illinois, 4.7 million voting-age residents have no choice in their state representative. As the debate heats up nationally over election laws and voter suppression, Illinois Policy Institute Director of Budget and Tax Research Adam Schuster explores new research showing how Illinois’ gerrymandered maps suppress voter participation, and discusses what we can do to fix it.

Dan Proft and Eric Kohn, marketing manager for the Illinois Policy Institute, talk to the plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging food truck regulations in Chicago, days after a Cook County Circuit Court judge sided with the city. They also talk to the president of a manufacturing business that left Illinois for Indiana, and is urging the soon-to-be president and vice president-elect to make needed reforms for manufacturers in the country. Hosts: Dan Proft & Eric Kohn Guests: Laura Pekarik, Vincent Flaska

Dan Proft and Kristen McQueary, Chicago Tribune editorial board member, recap the General Assembly’s veto session, which ended Dec. 1. They also talk to a suburban Chicago manufacturer about why Illinois’ uncompetitive workers compensation system urgently needs reform, and they discuss charter schools struggling to expand in Chicago. Hosts: Dan Proft & Kristen McQueary Guests: Zach Mottl​

Dan Proft and Hilary Gowins discuss Illinois’ prospects for adopting Right-to-Work policies. They also talk to an expert from the Foundation for Government Accountability about Obamacare’s negative financial – and tragically fatal – impact on Illinois. Hosts: Dan Proft & Hilary Gowins Guests: Jacob Huebert, Nic Horton

Dan Proft and Austin Berg talk to a labor law expert about the state’s impasse with AFSCME, its largest public sector union. They also talk to a constitutional scholar on ways taxpayers can restrict government from hiking taxes. And they discuss the new General Assembly’s upcoming vote for House Speaker. Hosts: Dan Proft & Austin Berg Guests: Mailee Smith, Rob Natelson

Dan Proft and Michael Lucci talk about the statehouse election results with Illinois News Network Reporter Greg Bishop. They also talk to a Will County manufacturer who describes the biggest challenges manufacturers in Illinois face, and why so many of them choose to leave for neighboring states. And Proft and Lucci discuss Illinois’ shrinking labor force, which includes many millenials fleeing the state for greener pastures.  Hosts: Dan Proft & Michael Lucci Guests: Greg Bishop, Al Popovich​

Dan Proft and Pat Hughes, co-founder of the Illinois Opportunity Project, talk about how New York’s new restrictive laws against Airbnb compare to Chicago’s and other major cities. They also preview the upcoming legislative elections with longtime ABC Political Reporter Charles Thomas. Hosts: Dan Proft & Pat Hughes Guests: Jared Meyer, Charles Thomas

Dan Proft and Ted Dabrowski, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, talk to former Mike Madigan primary opponent Jason Gonzales about the tactics Madigan employed against him during his run. They also talk to a Tax Foundation policy analyst about Illinois’ competitiveness – or lack thereof – in tax policy in the region. And they talk to a pension expert about how each state pension fund across the country is underfunded. Hosts: Dan Proft & Ted Dabrowski Guests: Jason Gonzales, Jared Walczak, Bob Williams​

Dan Proft and Michael Lucci, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, react to the deal between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union that includes a limit on charter schools. They also break down new out-migration data that shows how much income is fleeing Illinois, and how nearly half of Illinoisans remaining would like to leave, too. Hosts: Dan Proft & Michael Lucci Guests: Jelani McEwen, Scott Moody, Mark Dobson