State of Illinois

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States Punt on Tax Increases for FY2011

The State of Illinois is not the only cash-strapped state that shied away from major tax increases to improve its financial condition in FY2011. According to Stateline.…

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Open Meetings Act in Illinois

The Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120, was…

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States Worry Medicaid Stimulus to End, Adding to Budget Woes

Illinois and many other states drafted budget plans for FY2011 based on the assumption that Congress would extend the expiration date for enhanced federal Medicaid funding by six months—from December 31, 2010 to June 30, 2011. Now that…

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Large Gap Remains in FY2011 State Budget

Before adjourning for a second time this session on May 28, 2010, the Illinois General Assembly sent a series of budget bills for FY2011 to the Governor. Both houses passed $26.0 billion in appropriations, emergency budget powers for the…

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Illinois Lawmakers Propose $1.3 Billion in State Budget Cuts

As the General Assembly nears the final days of this year’s regular session with no FY2011 budget in sight, a group of lawmakers is attempting to advance the negotiations by…

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Update on Governor’s Proposal to Reduce State’s Costs for Retiree Healthcare

Governor Pat Quinn and his Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) appear to have different estimates of how much the State would save under the Governor’s proposal to require all state retirees to pay a share of their health…

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State Budget Update: Deficit Still $12.8 Billion

Despite the General Assembly’s goal to pass a budget for FY2011 and adjourn by May 7, 2010, legislators headed home after the session ended with no budget and no clear path out of the State’s current woeful financial situation. Although…

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Eliminate Legislative Scholarships

On May 11, Governor Quinn vetoed Senate Bill 0365, a bill that would have limited but not…

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City Pension Commission Report Shows Dire Financial Condition of Pension Funds

The City of Chicago released the final report of the Commission to Strengthen…

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Update on State Borrowing

The Civic Federation recently released its analysis of Governor Pat Quinn’s recommended FY2011 operating and capital budgets for the State of Illinois. One of the Federation’s…