Category Archives: Politics

Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part IV: History of Neglect (The 2000s)

The following is a continuation of Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part IV: History of Neglect (The 1990s) Overview The State of Illinois’ growing underfunded liabilities was the folly of many and not subjected to a single action. It was the compounded effect of many various decisions made by different individuals over decades. Part IV in ourContinue reading “Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part IV: History of Neglect (The 2000s)”

Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part IV: History of Neglect (The 1990s)

The following is a continuation of Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part III: Understanding Tiers Overview The State of Illinois’ growing underfunded liabilities was the folly of many and not subjected to a single action. It was the compounded effect of many various decisions made by different individuals over decades. Part IV in our Illinois Pension seriesContinue reading “Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part IV: History of Neglect (The 1990s)”

Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part III: Understanding Tiers

The following is a continuation of Dissecting Illinois’ Public Pension Problem Part II: Modeling Pensions. Overview Public employees are separated into two tiers, depending on when they began employment, and each tier contains a different vesting structure for their pension. The two tiers are simply referred to as Tier I and Tier II. Tier I EmployeesContinue reading “Dissecting Illinois’ Pension Problem Part III: Understanding Tiers”

House Bill 1438: Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act

The US has been slowly on the journey to legalizing recreational use of cannabis at a state level with Colorado and Washington being the first to pass such legislation in  2012. Since then, recreational cannabis has been legalized in a total of 10 states and the District of Columbia.  Background On May 31st, 2019, theContinue reading “House Bill 1438: Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act”

Expanding Educational Opportunity For Illinois Students: Analyzing House Bill 2691, the RISE Act

Topics: Politics and Legislation Introduction “Illinois will always be a welcoming state,” Gov. JB Pritzker declared as he signed bill into law at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the face of President Trump’s recent xenophobic policies and ICE raids this June. Sponsored by Rep. Lisa Hernandez, the RISE Act aims to make stateContinue reading “Expanding Educational Opportunity For Illinois Students: Analyzing House Bill 2691, the RISE Act”

A Look at House Bill 2495: The Base for Expanding Reproductive Rights in Illinois

By: Isabella Perez Topic: Politics and Legislation Introduction  Various legislative bodies in the Midwest have recently imposed laws that limit the ability of what women can and cannot do when it comes to their reproductive rights. In May 2019, the Missouri General Assembly passed House Bill 1226, similar to a recently passed Alabama law, whichContinue reading “A Look at House Bill 2495: The Base for Expanding Reproductive Rights in Illinois”

The U.S. Census’ Impact on Federal Funding for Illinois and Municipalities

By: Ryley Bruun, Writer Topic: Finance  Issue: The Financial Impact of the U.S. Census on Illinois  Problem: Communities that have a low participation rate taking the U.S. Census will not receive as much financial aid from the federal government compared to communities with higher rates. This can create a vicious cycle where historically underinvested areasContinue reading “The U.S. Census’ Impact on Federal Funding for Illinois and Municipalities”