Free Republic

For the first time since 2015 Illinois may actually have a budget in place before the start of the new fiscal year. Illinois House lawmakers voted Thursday to approve a $38.5 billion state budget plan by a vote of 97-18 *snip* The budget also finds $172 million for costs related to the Obama Presidential Center.

Let’s begin with a quick refresher: In July, 2017, the Democrat-dominated legislature of the State of Illinois, a state already suffering the loss of 95,000 residents per year, voted to override its governor and increase both the business and personal income tax by a third. To be specific, that’s a 32% increase in the individual income tax, and a 33% increase in the corporate income tax…thereby adding to a regulatory and tax structure that’s already so crippling, it’s driving out people and businesses at a rate faster than any other state, even states as famous for such flight as California...

Who won, lost in budget game July 31, 2004 BY THOMAS ROESER When the spring legislative session dawned, Big Daddy decided he would have to take The Kid in hand (ahem). It was only right: House Speaker Michael Madigan had served in the General Assembly since 1971, the governor (The Kid) had a few years of legislative service under his belt, sitting on the remotest back bench in Madigan's caucus. Also, all other legislative leaders were new or untried: Tom Cross, in his first term as GOP House leader; Democrat Emil Jones had never been Senate president; Frank Watson was...