Research Library
May 28, 2026
Gas Tax Holidays: Savings at What Cost?
This report examines recent fuel price increases, the implications of potential motor fuel tax holidays for Illinois revenues, and how temporary reductions in motor fuel taxes could affect transportation and transit funding statewide. Because the policy discussion is evolving rapidly, policymakers should carefully evaluate both the transportation funding implications and the likely consumer impacts before advancing any proposals currently being discussed in Springfield.
Featured Reports & Analysis
May 18, 2026
What Chicagoans Pay: A Guide to Consumer Taxes in 2026
The 2026 edition of this annual report lists and describes selected consumer taxes within the City of Chicago effective as of January 1, 2026. While not exhaustive, this report is intended to be a comprehensive compilation of taxes paid by consumers within the City of Chicago at all levels of government: federal, state, and local.
April 28, 2026
How Illinois' FY2027 Proposed Budget Addresses Long-term Fiscal Sustainability
Governor Pritzker’s FY2027 State of Illinois (Illinois or the ‘State’) budget proposal balances the books amidst a $2.2 billion budget gap, offering a “maintenance” budget that yields a modest general funds surplus of $24 million. This report examines how Governor Pritzker’s FY2027 State of Illinois budget proposal advances the State’s long-term goals for financial stability. This question is particularly important given Illinois’ tepid economic growth and persistent structural challenges, including an underlying mismatch between revenues and expenditures, limited fiscal resiliency, growing pension obligations, and a fiscal framework that does not fully support sustained and inclusive economic growth.
May 06, 2026
Standing up a Department of Early Childhood: What Peer States Can Teach Illinois
This report examines how four peer states—Colorado, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Oregon—structured and implemented similar early childhood departments. These states provide useful points of comparison because each established a standalone agency responsible for key early childhood programs such as child care assistance, licensing and regulation, and early learning or preschool. In each state, the creation of a dedicated department was intended to address fragmentation across agencies, simplify system navigation for families and providers, and strengthen policy coordination across programs serving young children.
All Blog Posts & Reports
Keep up with the Civic Federation's latest research and recommendations on fiscal policy and other key issues facing our state and local governments.