Rich Miller

Every year when the legislature arrives at mid-May, it’s always tempting to look around, see the absence of real bicameral movement on legislation and conclude that nothing’s gonna happen in time for the scheduled May 31 adjournment.

Megaprojects developers would negotiate with local governments what “special payments” they’ll pay on top of property taxes based on frozen assessments.

Illinois faces a structural budget crisis: tax hikes, not economic growth, are keeping the state solvent – and that strategy is running out of runway.

As the Bears stadium bill advances in the Illinois House, state Rep. Kam Buckner faces pushback from the governor's office and Senate Democrats over surprise changes to the deal.

State revenues are up sharply this quarter, but federal budget cuts and tax law changes could erase those gains — and shift massive costs to states.

The poll was released as Gov. JB Pritzker and others are pushing a plan to build “missing middle” residences, including multi-family developments and “granny flats” throughout the state.

The trend in special elections across the country over the past several months has shown spiking Democratic turnout and tanking Republican turnout.

As billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker told me in a post-election interview, “a whole bunch of money does not a good candidate make.”

Total spending, including the race for the open state comptroller position, was at $5.5 million for the calendar year.

We’ve had a problem in this country and in this state with hallucinatory campaigns that go beyond the normal campaign fibs for a very long time.

Pritzker’s contribution to Margaret Croke’s comptroller campaign has ignited a debate among Democratic candidates over independence, loyalty and the proper relationship between the state’s fiscal watchdog and the governor’s office.

The teachers unions decried the state for not living up to its Evidence Based Funding law, which was supposed to bring all schools up to 90% “adequate” funding levels by next year.

Forty Democratic members of the Illinois House and Senate have been meeting weekly to come up with a plan to find some government efficiencies and create new revenue streams to help the state meet its obligations.

I just do not see how Democratic legislators are gonna agree to take away any cash buffers while the state budget is under constant federal siege, with more likely on the way.

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi has so far raised and spent the most money. And while he has a substantial lead in the polls, it’s unclear yet if his wide support is paper-thin, meaning he could be taken out with some strong attacks.