There is no sugarcoating the reality that Illinois’ public pensions are the worst-funded in the nation. State and local pension debt in Illinois now sits at $211 billion, with both debt to GDP (21 percent) and funding ratios (50.8 percent) the worst in the nation, according to a report by Equable Institute. The top five states in the nation with unfunded liabilities have a shortfall of $787 billion, just slightly larger than the rest of the country combined ($778 billion). More than one-third of national unfunded liabilities are in California and Illinois combined. 

Genome editing, also called gene editing, is a group of technologies that give scientists the ability to change an organism’s DNA. These technologies allow genetic material to be added, removed, or altered at particular locations in the genome. Ever since scientists realized that changes in DNA cause cancer, they have been searching for an easy way to correct those changes by manipulating DNA. 

Only two horse racing tracks remain in Illinois, one in western Chicago in Stickney and the other in the Metro East in Collinsville. Three horse racing tracks have closed within the last eight years in Illinois, including Arlington Park, Balmoral Park, and Maywood Park, all in the Chicagoland area. 

The horse racing industry decline can be attributed to fewer equines being bred on downstate farms, and many breeders and trainers have left to race in other states. A long-anticipated ‘racino’ project at Hawthorne Racecourse in Chicago remains stalled amid financing woes.  Horse racing tracks have been facing increasing competition from casinos and the explosion of sportsbooks and other forms of gambling in Illinois in recent years. 

CHICAGO
Worsening structural budget deficit could reach $1.9 billion/year by 2026. This would be approximately $700 per year for each Chicago resident. The grim budget projection is based on data generated by chronically challenged functions of the city and its government, including law enforcement, public-sector pensions, and the cost of housing and providing care to non-legal residents. In FY24 alone, the immediate budget deficit facing Chicagoans in the spending cycle that has already begun is $538 million.
In sharp contrast to budget projections generated by outsiders, the $1.9 billion-a-year worst case scenario came from the office of newly elected Mayor Brandon Johnson. It was developed with access to the city’s own budget books and cost trends, including cost trends for public-sector pensions and other historically underfunded city budget line items. Tax rates in Chicago are already among the highest in the U.S. When a Chicago purchaser buys non-grocery goods within city limits, the sales tax is above 10%.

Total consumer debt increased by seven percent from 2021-2022, rising from $15.31 trillion to $16.38 trillion. Auto loans, credit cards, mortgages and personal loans saw the largest increases on a percentage basis. Personal loans increased by 18 percent, and credit card balances grew by 16 percent. Consumer demand for auto loans was abundant, with cars selling for more than their manufacturer’s sticker price. Average car sale prices rose by 9.4 percent from September 2021-2022. 

Well-designed parks and trails are valued parts of the environment. They can promote physical activity and community engagement while providing environmental and mental health benefits. Parks can also help reduce stress. In addition, an important interaction between parks and health is through physical activity, which in turn can improve health outcomes. 

Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) passed his first bill back in 2017, and it involved a bipartisan measure to allow volunteer work to be performed at Illinois State Parks.

Missing out on a family wedding or having to reschedule a Christmas dinner is nothing new for Rep. Dan Swanson (R-Alpha), a fifth-generation family farmer in rural Henry County. And whether it’s service to his family farm, service to his community or service to his country, Swanson has always answered the call.

“There’s nothing 8 to 4:30 about farming,” Swanson stated. “There’s something about waking up and smelling the newly turned soil or getting down in there, putting in a long day and coming home to a good pork chop supper that’s something special.”