From the Illinois Policy Institute…
The General Assembly has adjourned for the summer. A budget was passed that contained real cuts, but it was still too big. Significant school reform sits on the governor’s desk. Illinois government will be more transparent. And yet so much more remains to be done.
Here are the highlights of the spring 2011 legislative session in Illinois. Over the next few weeks, we will roll out a thorough analysis of all the legislative items, large and small, that were on the Institute’s watch list this year. Stay tuned.
Thank you,
Collin Hitt
Senior Director of Government Affairs
Illinois Policy Institute
We Don’t Want It; You Can’t Afford It
The Institute’s open letter to Congress implores lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to just say NO to any federal bailouts of spendthrift states. Voters in Arkansas, Florida, Nevada, Maine, Colorado and elsewhere shouldn’t be forced to pony up for Illinois’s self-made mess.
Further, the people of Illinois don’t want a federal bailout. According to a May 2011 poll of 500 likely voters, only a quarter of Illinois residents support a federal government bailout for states with serious financial problems. More than half of Illinoisans reject it.
Senate Resolution 188, authored by Sen. Mark Kirk and backed by Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford, reiterates that states retain control over their spending and taxation, and states are responsible for their own debts. Read more about this important measure.
Do the Rich Pay Their Fair Share?
Did you know that the top 14% of Illinois earners pay 56% of all state income tax collections? And the demagogues on the left keep insisting the rich “don’t pay their fair share.” The Institute’s latest Fact Finder sorts fact from fiction.
Good Changes in Store for Illinois Schools?
Find out what those changes are in the latest Where Daily Life and Policy Meet podcast featuring Jessica Handy, policy director of the Illinois chapter of Stand for Children.
Earn Up To $5,000 Cash by Saving Taxpayers Money
The Illinois Department of Central Management Services wants to hear from you about ideas to save the state money – and the bigger your idea for savings, the more money you can earn. More details about this program – and some ideas to help you get started – are available here.
Upcoming Events
Connecting the Loop to the Hill: Join us and Congressman Robert Dold on June 8
What: Congressman Robert Dold, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
When: Wednesday, June 8, 2011 from 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Where: Illinois Policy Institute, 190 S. LaSalle, 40th Floor, Chicago
Join our friends at The Heartland Institute for America’s Ticking Bankruptcy Bomb: Lunch with Author Peter Ferrara
What: Heartland’s Author Series
When: Monday, June 20, 2011 from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Where: Petterino’s, 150 N. Dearborn, Chicago
SAVE THE DATE
What: Milton Friedman Day Policy Breakfast
When: Friday, July 29, from 8 AM – 9 AM
Where: Illinois Policy Institute, 190 S. LaSalle, 40th Floor, Chicago