State of Illinois

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What are the Rhode Island Pension Reforms?

Public officials and opinion leaders in Illinois have expressed much interest in the landmark pension reforms approved in Rhode Island in 2011. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel…

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Largest State Pension Fund Calls for Major Reforms in FY2013

The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) has concluded that it can no longer rely on the State to follow the law for funding its five retirement systems and that sweeping changes are needed to sustain the pension…

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Illinois House Proposes Reductions to Governor’s FY2013 Budget

The Illinois House has approved a spending plan for FY2013 that would cut the State of Illinois’ expenditures from the level proposed by Governor Pat Quinn and use an additional budget surplus to reduce the State’s backlog of unpaid bills…

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Legislative Scholarship Program Under Scrutiny Again

On March 21, 2012, the Illinois House passed House Bill 3810 with a 79 to 25 vote, a bill that…

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State Seeks Early Medicaid Expansion for Troubled Cook County Health System

UPDATE: On May 24, 2012 the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation to permit Cook County’s public health system to obtain federal funding for medical services for low-income adults under the Medicaid program. The plan must still be…

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State's FY2013 Capital Budget Still Not Publicly Available

Three weeks after Governor Pat Quinn delivered his FY2013 budget address, details on the recommended FY2013 capital budget are still not widely available. In most years, the Governor is required under the…

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State Revenue Update: General Assembly Reduces FY2013 Revenue Projections

In the last week, both houses of the Illinois General Assembly approved a General Funds revenue projection for FY2013 that is lower than the amounts included in the Governor’s recommended budget. In two parallel resolutions,…

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The Section 25 Exception: How Illinois Defers Medicaid Bills

With new attention being paid to the cost of the State of Illinois’ Medicaid program, it seems logical to ask why the total annual costs…

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Civic Federation Position Statement on Charitable Property Tax Exemptions for Non-Profit Hospitals

 The Civic Federation supports the continuation of property tax exemptions for non-profit hospitals that qualify as charitable organizations. However, the General Assembly must establish clear, definable standards of eligibility. This…

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Governor’s FY2013 Budget Acknowledges Depth of Financial Crisis

On February 22, 2012, Governor Pat Quinn presented his administration’s fourth annual budget for the State of Illinois. The