State of Illinois

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Illinois to Seek Federal Waiver for Medicaid Overhaul

The State of Illinois plans to apply for a sweeping federal waiver to overhaul its Medicaid program, according to a

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Growth in Illinois Pension Contributions to be Less Than Expected in FY2015

The State of Illinois will need to contribute somewhat more to its five retirement systems in FY2015, but the growth will be less than previously projected due mainly to strong investment returns. Pension contributions required by State…

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Unpaid Claims To Pile Up in Retiree Health Programs

The health insurance programs for the State of Illinois’ retired public school teachers outside of Chicago and downstate community college employees face mounting backlogs of unpaid claims as costs continue to outpace revenues, according…

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New Location Buoys Casino Revenues But Illinois Taxes Remain Flat

According to the latest legislative report on gaming in Illinois, total casino revenues have recovered since the opening of the State’s tenth riverboat casino…

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Capital Planning Overview: State and Local Government Summary

As part of its ongoing analysis of State and local government budgets, the Civic Federation also reviews proposed capital budgets along with any planning documents provided in support of infrastructure investments. Although many…

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State’s Unpaid Bill Backlog Projected to Decline in FY2014

Aided by an unexpected surge in income tax collections in April 2013, the State of Illinois’ backlog of unpaid bills is projected to decline to roughly $5.8 billion at the end of FY2014. As shown in the table below and discussed in a…

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State of Illinois Enacted FY2014 Budget: A Review of the Operating and Capital Budgets for the Current Fiscal Year

This analysis of the State of Illinois’ Fiscal Year 2014 Enacted Budget finds that the budget may represent a high-water mark, with future years bringing sharp reductions in revenues and further consequences of the unresolved pension…

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New State Law Aims at Reforming Economic Development Incentives

The State of Illinois does not currently have a comprehensive policy on economic development incentives.  Instead, the State offers a wide variety of financial incentives that reduce specific State or local tax burdens for businesses…

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Update on Eligibility Screening for Medicaid

An effort to clear Illinois’ Medicaid program of ineligible enrollees has led to the removal of 128,700 participants, but State savings are expected to be far lower than hoped by lawmakers, according to testimony at a legislative hearing…

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State’s Revenues Boosted by Surplus in Income Tax Refund Fund

In recent years, the State of Illinois’ financial woes had been complicated by a massive backlog of unpaid income tax refunds. When the backlog was paid…