State of Illinois

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Illinois Budget Deficit Projected to Exceed $1 Billion in FY2019

When the State of Illinois enacted its budget for the current fiscal year in June 2018, it had a narrow surplus on paper of about $14 million. But a…

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State of Illinois Pension Contributions to Rise in FY2020, but by how Much?

Illinois’ contributions to its severely underfunded retirement systems are expected to increase significantly in the upcoming budget year, but the numbers could change due to pension buyout plans that have yet to be implemented. Proposed…

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Illinois Medicaid Enrollment Continues to Drop in 2018

A new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that Medicaid enrollment declined by 0.6% across the United States…

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Transform Illinois Holds 4th Annual Awards Event Honoring Government Reform Efforts

The Civic Federation is a member of Transform Illinois, a coalition of organizations committed to greater government efficiency. Transform Illinois held its fourth annual…

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Whither the Illinois Estate Tax?

The Illinois Estate tax is levied on net assets over $4 million of the estates of the deceased. Illinois does not have an inheritance tax, which is levied on assets received by the inheritors of an estate. Estate tax revenue is forecast…

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Illinois FY2019 Budget Still Faces Major Hurdles

UPDATE: The State Universities Retirement System (SURS) does not expect to be ready to fully implement pension buyout plans for its members during FY2019, according to documents provided to the Civic Federation. SURS attributed the delay…

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New Legislation Seeks to Manage Illinois’ Bill Backlog

Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills stood at nearly $7.4 billion as of September 13,…

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Pension Bonds: Lessons from the State of Illinois

With governments in Illinois facing steep increases in yearly pension contributions, new plans are being floated to borrow billions of dollars to stabilize ailing pension funds and relieve budgetary pressures. The…

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An Examination of the Finances of Illinois Community Colleges

Annually the Civic Federation completes an analysis of the proposed budget of the City Colleges of Chicago. The Federation’s latest analysis of the City Colleges budget can be found…

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Examining Pension Savings in Illinois’ FY2019 Budget

Since Illinois passed its budget for the current fiscal year, many questions have been raised about the…