Government Budgets

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The insurance plan that got Cook County Health off life support

This article looks at the growth of CountyCare, Cook County’s initiative to provide Medicaid coverage for low-income adult patients who are currently uninsured. The Civic Federation said the expansion of CountyCare and the resulting…

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Supreme Court Pension Ruling Adds to FY2016 Budget Pressures

An Illinois Supreme Court decision overturning legislation to reduce the State’s massive pension costs will add to the difficulty of creating a balanced operating budget for the year that begins on July 1, 2015. The high court…

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Civic Federation Opposes Governor's Recommended Budget

Urges General Assembly to Identify Alternate Plan for Closing $6.2 Billion Budget Gap In a new report released today, the Civic Federation’s Institute for Illinois’ Fiscal Sustainability opposes Governor Rauner’s recommended budget for…

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State of Illinois FY2016 Recommended Operating Budget: Analysis and Recommendations

The Civic Federation opposes Governor Bruce Rauner’s recommended budget for FY2016 because it relies heavily on projected savings that do not appear to be achievable or prudent in light of the State of Illinois’ obligations and long-term…

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Chicago Public Schools Releases Scaled Back Capital Improvement Plan

On May 1, 2015, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) released their proposed FY2016 capital budget and an updated Five-Year capital improvement plan for FY2016-…

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Mayor lays out 'roadmap for fiscal reform'

This segment discusses a fiscal roadmap for reform announced by Mayor Emanuel to the Board of Directors of the Civic Federation on April 29. Civic Federation President Laurence Msall said the City will require more revenue to achieve the…

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Chicago mayor unveils initial fiscal reforms

This article covers an announcement by Mayor Emanuel on April 29 that outlined steps the city will take in the next four years to address Chicago’s biggest financial challenges. These steps include ending the use of…

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Where Will Budget Funding Be Coming From?

This panel discussion focuses on the State of Illinois’ nearly 800 funds, many of which do not receive the same level of scrutiny as the general funds portion of the budget. The special funds…

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Governor's Budget Cuts Include Reducing and Eliminating Statutory Transfers

To help cope with a massive budget deficit as State resources continue to fall in the coming fiscal year, Governor Bruce Rauner has proposed reducing or ending some statutorily required transfers that provide funding for programs and…

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Grading Rauner's first 100 days: hits, misses, a question of trust

The article looks at Governor Bruce Rauner’s first 100 days in office. On the State budget, the Civic Federation said most of the first 100 days has been spent addressing shortfalls in the current FY2015 budget rather than discussion on…