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Deputy State Director Brian Costin said, in part, Illinois is a case study in fiscal failure and has held the lowest bond rating of any state for more than a decade. After eight years under Governor Pritzker, Illinoisans have learned to be skeptical of his budget promises, because the fine print has meant higher taxes, more borrowing, and less transparency.”
Illinois Secretary of State Giannoulias is in a standoff with the Trump Transportation Department over its review of the state’s commercial drivers licenses which found that 1-in-5 licenses issued by Giannoulias’ office were done so illegally. Giannoulias has positioned himself as a defender of the state’s trucking and logistics industries, arguing the federal demands are damaging the state’s economy, its truckers, farmers, and others involved in the logistics sector.
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House Bill 3723 would limit annual property tax bill increases for homeowners receiving the Senior Citizens Homestead Exemption. A related measure, House Bill 3724, would place a similar limit on annual tax increases for most owner‑occupied homes.
In the state budget released last week, the governor proposed $25.9 million for the Illinois Arts Council, up just slightly from the $25.7 million allocated in fiscal year 2026. In 2025, the state made a big increase in funding for the arts, growing the budget from $15.5 million to $25.5 million annually.
"While there are plenty of reasons to debate or oppose Trump‑era policies, no federal initiative from his administration created Illinois’ pension crisis, its sky‑high tax burden, its chronic outmigration, or its culture of late reporting and mismanagement; those are homegrown failures produced by progressive lawmakers and the agenda they have imposed on the state."
"In 2022, 18,369 students came to Illinois for a college education, and 35,884 left. Once they leave, there’s a good chance they won’t come back. ... Illinois, especially its hinterlands, is a state that was well-designed for the industrial era, but not so much for what has come next."
More than 3,000 students in Champaign Unit 4 miss 10 percent or more of the school year, almost 10 percent higher than the state average. District leaders said they are seeing the highest number of absences among their youngest learners in kindergarten.
At less than 6.5 percent now, the local share percentage has dropped nearly 40 percent over the past decade. “You’re not even at the amount you’re supposed to be already, so now you’re going to cut $60 million? He cut gaming last year from local governments, the grocery (tax revenues),” House Republican Leader Tony McCombie said.
An ongoing investigation has found that the commissioners earn more money but have fewer responsibilities than other paid board members in state government, take no votes of consequence to the public, and work side jobs that pay them thousands of dollars more.
Optimistic assumptions account for $1 billion to close an estimated $2.2 billion gap. While the governor’s office has emphasized disciplined budgeting, much of the plan depends on volatile projections and temporary fixes rather than lasting reform.
"Illinois’ structural deficit exists because state tax policy is so flawed it doesn’t align with the modern economy. Hence, general fund revenue consistently grows at a slower rate than needed to cover inflation-adjusted increases in the cost of maintaining service levels over time. Worse, Illinois unfairly overtaxes low- and middle-income folks, while under-taxing the wealthy."
“This budget is a disaster for hardworking Illinoisans,” state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer. “More taxes and fees, another billion dollars in wasteful spending, including hundreds of millions of our tax dollars going to welfare benefits for illegal immigrants. There’s no relief from the high cost of living. There’s no property tax relief or tax cuts for working families anywhere to be found in this budget."
Illinois is worst, with lots of detail by city and county.
"Now, Illinois faces a growing public service labor shortage. Vacancy rates at state agencies are at record highs, with between 5,000 and 8,000 unfilled positions since 2021. Illinois is short 15,000 registered nurses. There are 7,500 unfilled teaching and public-school positions, and surveys of school superintendents have identified 'retirement system issues' as a primary culprit."
The Illinois bill has been nicknamed the POWER Act — Protecting Our Water, Energy and Ratepayers. It aims to shift energy costs related to this growth from consumers to the data center companies, incentivize clean-energy sourcing, limit water use and protect local communities from pollution. It stands out to supporters and opponents alike as particularly wide-reaching.
Dozens of municipalities across the Chicago area have referenda and propositions on the ballot in the 2026 Illinois primary. So far, in the Illinois primary for 2026, all referenda on ballots appear to be advisory referenda.
"The governor’s budget proposal did indeed project $200 million in revenues from imposing a new 'social media platform fee,' and the money was earmarked for education. But ... evidence-based funding was given only an additional $5 million on top of its (mostly) usual $300 million annual increase."
Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 calls for a 1.6 percent spending increase, a far cry from past years when base revenue sources were growing at a faster pace. Pritzker said his budget “levels off and in some cases reduces programs that are important to me."
Gov. JB Pritzker's order directs the Illinois Power Agency and Illinois Commerce Commission to look into potential sites for the facilities and to develop a legal and regulatory system to govern them. State officials will not foist the facilities on municipalities but instead let communities make the decision, the governor's office told Crain's.
Voters are being asked whether they support raising the county sales tax, increasing property taxes or reducing county services. “If the answer to all of these questions is no and we do expect that to be the answer, we can rest easier at night knowing that voters explicitly said they we’re okay with reductions. Then we can go to department heads and directors fully knowing that voters asked us for those reductions,” County Board Co-Chair Emily Rodriguez said.
Gov. JB Pritzker introduced the Building Up Illinois Developments plan during his budget address Wednesday, saying local regulations have made it too costly and difficult to build new housing.
In a letter to Mr. Trump that Pritzker shared publicly, he wrote, "Your tariff taxes wreaked havoc on farmers, enraged our allies, and sent grocery prices through the roof. This morning, your hand-picked Supreme Court Justices notified you that they are also unconstitutional. On behalf of the people of Illinois, I demand a refund of $1,700 for every family in Illinois."
"Are we not better than this? Aren’t people tired of this ridiculous pantomime of anger and vulgarity? Absolutely not. Your average working stiff doesn’t care about any of this rhetoric; then again your average working stiff isn’t surfing the internet for Juliana Stratton campaign ads. This is directed at the base, and in the context of a primary. And it will work."
Illinois law freezes tuition rates for undergraduate students for four years upon entering a public college or university. The total cost for undergraduates will be about $30,605 for most ISU students.
It was harder for workers in Illinois to find a job than in most other states. There were 1.4 unemployed workers for every job opening, the 7th highest ratio in the nation. This reveals a fundamental weakness: Illinois isn’t creating enough job openings to offer sufficient opportunities to its unemployed workforce.
Jim Dey: "A statement issued by Fair Maps-Illinois contends that political face-off has 'only deepened voter distrust in government, and the resulting hyper-partisanship has increased cynicism that nonpartisan and bipartisan good government reform is attainable.' It would, of course, be attainable, if the issue was ever put to a public vote. At least that’s what public opinion polls indicate."
In Illinois, six grant awards to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois-Chicago that are collectively worth over $20 million — which Attorney General Kwame Raoul said are to “make the electricity grid more reliable and resilient, reduce carbon emissions, and utilize domestic sources of rare earth elements and critical minerals” — were on the chopping block.
Top Chicago Stories
When the project was approved in 2018, projections placed public infrastructure costs at roughly $350 million, split between the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago. Eight years later, the Illinois Department of Transportation says approximately $229 million in infrastructure spending was tied to the site, up from its earlier estimate of roughly $174 million. And Chicago officials have failed to produce a reconciled total.
The higher fees took effect weeks after Mayor Brandon Johnson in December announced his “Cut the Tape for Small Business” initiative. A steep “increase in fees seems like a lot more red tape to me,” one applicant said. “It’s prohibitively expensive for small service-based businesses — cleaning, creatives, tutors, home-based businesses — many of whom operate on narrow margins. They are barely making ends meet and can’t absorb a sudden $1,000 upfront cost.”
"Consider Gov. J.B. Pritzker of Illinois. A fearless opponent of Donald Trump, his bravery failed him when Chicago police and firefighter unions sought to raise pensions, often by thousands of dollars. Against the advice of civic and business leaders concerned about, as they put it, “grossly underfunded pensions,” Mr. Pritzker signed
Chief among the county’s hurdles would be the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. According to the protocol, before Cook County prosecutors could charge a federal officer, they would first have to overcome a claim of Supremacy Clause immunity — a high bar that requires the state to prove the officer was not performing an act authorized by federal law, or that the officer did more than what was “necessary and proper.”
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The plan includes $130 million in renovations to the stadium itself, including a new sound system and new dressing rooms. Another $500 million would go toward upgrading infrastructure and parking around it.
Mayor Brandon Johnson himself endorsed the "ABOLISH ICE" name for a snowplow on social media, a clip of an interview with the Rev. Al Sharpton in which he denounced U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration.
According to Chicago police, the ages of the victims range from 15 to 40.
"When Johnson calls full City Council meetings to order, he bangs a custom gavel engraved with his name, two Bible verses, and two words: 'Stay Strong.' The flourish is fitting. Chicago stands alone, according to a new analysis from the Chicago Policy Center. It is the only big city in the country where the mayor has the power to preside over the council directly, and the power to veto its output."
"On one hand, it is an earnest attempt to confront the city’s past. On the other hand, its design — race-specific, administratively narrow and cash-focused — raises legal, moral and strategic concerns. A more comprehensive approach might focus on opportunity rather than compensation, addressing systemic inequities with policies that expand access to quality education, affordable housing and economic development."
In August 2017, shortly after reaching a $39 million settlement to end a class action over red-light camera tickets, attorneys filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of several named plaintiffs ticketed between 2012 and 2014 for using a cellphone while driving.
Judge William Sullivan said the village has three options to pay off the debt, which has accrued 6 percent per year through interest, or about $2 million per year: issue a bond, issue a tax levy increase or increase costs of services. As of Friday, the village owes $40.6 million to the families of John Kyles, who died following a 2016 police chase, and Duane Dunlap, who was left severely injured.
U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer, CPD officials and representatives of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul listened for 90 minutes as more than a dozen Chicagoans testified virtually that the reform push that has cost Chicago taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars has not resulted in significant change. Almost seven years into the process, CPD has fully complied with 22 percent of the consent decree’s requirements.
Edwin Moreno, 27, also known as “AK,” is accused of possessing a Glock .45-caliber pistol fitted with a machine gun conversion device, according to a federal criminal complaint. Moreno and an unidentified accomplice were allegedly recruited by ATF agents posing as repo men needing armed security. Both both Moreno and his buddy allegedly pulled up their pant legs to reveal electronic monitoring ankle bracelets and then made a point of saying they needed to be back at their respective homes by 9:45 p.m.
Even if the team continues to talk to both states, Pritzker said, “I think the Bears need to make their intentions known.” Asked whether the Bears leaving Illinois would mark a failure of the state’s ability to negotiate, Pritzker said, “There’s a limit to what the taxpayers of Illinois are going to spend on a stadium or on infrastructure.”
"If the Council chooses to acquiesce to the Mayor, as is the long prevailing customary practice, the existing system works just fine. But as soon as the Council breaks with the administration, the system falls apart —and that’s exactly what we saw last fall. The alders who defied the Mayor and passed their own alternative budget were structurally handcuffed from achieving more."
"Truth in Accounting CEO Sheila Weinberg shows us Johnson's smoke and mirrors. 'They only include the expenses they’ve paid, not all the expenses they’ve incurred. They also include loan proceeds as revenue and still claim the budget is balanced. In the real world, borrowing money to balance your budget would be insane. But in government budgeting, that’s how they do it,' Weinberg (said). ... She also pointed out Johnson didn’t properly report the city's pension bomb in his 'balanced' budget, either, and noted the city's unfunded pension liability is eight times bigger than the city's total payroll."
A lifelong Chicagoan and small business owner has announced he is running for mayor, launching what he calls a grassroots campaign focused on affordability, economic growth and safer neighborhoods.
"(Elementary school teacher Lucy) Martinez was never placed on administrative leave after celebrating Charlie Kirk’s murder. Neither (state Sen. Karina) Villa nor any other leftist senator expressed outrage. The mayor did not hold a listening session. Instead, Martinez continues merrily along, entrusted with dozens of young, impressionable minds. These are the consequences for a teacher who supported an assassination. And the claim that she merely mocked it, and that mockery is different from support, is risible."
New data shows Loop area retail vacancies ticked down in 2025, marking the second straight year of such development and giving raised hope to some that things may finally be settling.
"What would Ted Dabrowski as Illinois governor mean for the Chicago area? We put the questions below to the Republican candidate and he unloaded on Governor JB Pritzker for betraying Chicago and the rest of the state. Read on for his scorching thoughts on Pritzker, who Ted says is on the wrong side of every issue."
“The new letters — an excerpt from Obama’s Selma speech — are tough read to me, giving off the lorem ipsum vibes,” Chicago Sun-Times architecture critic Lee Bay wrote online, referring to the Latin placeholder text often used in graphic design templates. Agreed best-selling author John LeFevre, “The words are cut off. The Ts, Ls, and Is are indistinguishable."
"Lewis University is one of several tenants in the property and does not have control over leasing decisions involving other occupants," the announcement read. "In light of social media attention referencing the potential for protests at the site, and the community's concerns regarding ICE, we are taking precautionary steps to support a safe, productive, and welcoming learning environment for all."
A quiet COVID-era policy removed pork from the schools’ menus. Sen. Celina Villanueva, a former CPS student, is sponsoring a resolution calling for CPS to review the ban along with Rep. Sonya Harper, House Ag Chairwoman.
The city’s tradition of strong mayors and weak councils has meant that choice has effectively rested with the chief executive capable of quickly filling vacancies, until now.
The Columbus statue at the park and another at Grant Park were taken down at the direction of former Mayor Lori Lightfoot amid racial justice protests in 2020. Mayor Brandon Johnson told reporters, “We’re going to continue and always going to have conversations about how we honor cultural heritage in the city of Chicago, 77 neighborhoods, one of the most diverse cities not just in America, but around the globe.”
Many expect spending on this election cycle to exceed what was spent on Chicago’s first-ever school board race in 2024. That topped $13 million, but involved just 10 seats. Now all 21 seats are up for grabs, and the at-large board president will have to run a citywide campaign.
Chicago has become one of the nation’s largest cities to unanimously codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism into municipal law— an extraordinary move driven not by veteran political leaders, but by two college students who say they felt compelled to act as antisemitic incidents surged across Illinois campuses.
Wirepoints Research and Commentary
Justices on Illinois' top court ran a Star Chamber. They personally comprised a cancel mob and acted in blatant disregard of constitutional rights to due process and free speech. With just weeks remaining before Illinois voters head to the polls for the Republican gubernatorial primary, the contest has evolved into a broader referendum.
The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is one among thousands getting billions in total from Illinois taxpayers that needs a close look, says Glennon. Audio Link Here.
Questions about how Illinois spends taxpayer money resurfaced on Chicago’s Morning Answer, as guest hosts Jeanne Ives and Jim Iuorio spoke with Mark Glennon, founder of Wirepoints, about millions of dollars in state grants flowing to nonprofit organizations with political ties. Audio and summary here.
Concerns about widespread benefits fraud, government spending, and the reliability of official data took center stage with Dan Proft and Mark Glennon, as new revelations from outside Illinois renewed questions about similar vulnerabilities within the state. Audio link here.
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The cancel mob lives on. The latest example is in Illinois courts. There, the mob could hardly have been more brazen, defrocking a judge for daring to write about one of their favorite weapons – “lawfare” – abuse of the legal system for political or social goals. 
The train of abuses in Illinois when it comes to free speech -- democracy's essential, bedrock right -- is now long. 
Questions about free speech, taxation, and the direction of city policy took center stage as radio host Dan Proft spoke with Mark Glennon, founder of Wirepoints, during a wide-ranging discussion on the state of governance in Chicago and Illinois. Audio link here. 
At long last, scrutiny over taxpayer-funded NGOs is rapidly expanding. Illinois is in the crosshairs. The Department of Justice is looking. 
On Thursday night, all four leading major Republicans candidates for governor -- Rick Heidner, Darren Bailey, James Mendrick and Ted Dabrowski -- in the Tazewell County Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Forum. The video is a bit blurry, but the whole program is linked here.
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