This report was updated on August 22, 2025 to incorporate additional details on K-12 Education.by Lily PadulaOn May 31, the Illinois General Assembly passed three budget bills for the 2026 fiscal year: the appropriations bill, which…
The following is testimony delivered by Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson to the Illinois House Executive Committee at a July 31, 2025 hearing on Chicago Public Schools' finances. The original testimony has been edited slightly for…
By Lily Padula Over the past three decades, the Illinois state government's personnel levels have undergone notable shifts, shaped by economic cycles, policy changes, and evolving administrative practices. The number of full-time…
by Mitchell ArmentroutJune 16, 2025
This report is part of a three-part educational series on what's at stake for CPS in FY2026 and beyond. Click here to view the one-page summary…
By Daniel Vesecky On February 19, Governor Pritzker released his proposed budget…
By Sarah Wetmore The Forest Preserve District of Cook County (FPDCC, or “the District”) adopted its FY2025 budget on November 19, 2024,…
By Grant McClintockFollowing a lengthy political debate, Chicago’s FY2025 enacted budget managed to technically fill a nearly $1 billion projected budget gap. However, as the Civic Federation noted in its…
CHICAGO – Today, the Civic Federation released a comprehensive report calling for Illinois legislators and Governor Pritzker’s administration to begin work on modernizing Illinois’ tax structure and improving its budgeting process. This…
