Caitlin Nordahl Stories | Dupage Policy Journal

Media blasts Dem-controlled assembly: $111 for 30 minutes?

By Caitlin Nordahl | Jun 28, 2017

The state and national press picked apart the Democratically controlled Illinois House and Senate for returning to Springfield for a special session that lasted approximately a half hour on Day 1, according to the lllinois Republican Party.

Policy pro urges Rauner to stick to his guns on reforms

By Caitlin Nordahl | Jun 27, 2017

Democrats in the General Assembly have accused Gov. Bruce Rauner of trying to push nonbudgetary reforms through in this year’s budget negotiations, but the Illinois Policy Institute’s Michael Lucci contends that Rauner’s cost-cutting measures are a necessary part of any successful budget.

Policy expert describes seven major faults in GOP budget proposal

By Caitlin Nordahl | Jun 26, 2017

"Illinoisans don’t need a compromise deal that will only offer more of the same failures" -- so says Craig Lesner, the budget and tax research director of the Illinois Policy Institute, in describing the recently put forward Republican budget plan.

Illinois held down by economic, moral decay, analyst says

By Caitlin Nordahl | Jun 25, 2017

While every state around it continues to grow in population and prosperity, Illinois keeps shrinking under the strain of higher taxes and more regulations, Michael Lucci, vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute, said in an article on the institute's website.

Special legislative session costs Illinoisans at least $40,000 a day

By Caitlin Nordahl | Jun 25, 2017

The current 10-day special session of the General Assembly stands to cost Illinoisans up to $500,000, according to an analysis by the Better Government Association (BGA).

IIlinois sinks to near-junk bond status in eyes of two agencies

By Caitlin Nordahl | Jun 25, 2017

One day after the General Assembly ended its spring legislative session, lllinois sank to new depths, as two of the three major U.S. credit rating agencies dropped the state to one step above "junk" bond status, the Illinois Policy Institute reported.