The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) released the following statement on June 5, 2026, after Governor JB Pritzker announced he was pausing data center tax incentives beginning July 1: “Data centers are key to a modern economy, making cloud computing, artificial intelligence, analytics and advanced manufacturing possible. While balanced regulations are important, this pause in tax…
Consumer watchdog calls on ICC to reject utility’s rate-hike plan as well as proposed purchase of Aqua As it attempts to dominate the state’s private water landscape through an aggressive acquisition strategy, Illinois American Water is pushing a rate hike that would overcharge customers by at least $54 million–including an exorbitant profit rate for shareholders…
Ameren Illinois customers face a second consecutive summer of high bills, the Citizens Utility Board (CUB) shared on Thursday, May 21, 2026, as they spread the word about the utility’s June 1 electricity price. CUB further urged Ameren to work with customers struggling to afford their bills to keep them connected in the hot summer,…
By DR. TUSHAR SHAH Founder, VaSu Smiles In 2025, I opened a new orthodontic practice in Bellwood, Ill., dedicated to providing affordable care. My mom — who never forgot how hard it was for my family to pay for the orthodontic care I’d needed as a kid — had encouraged me to open the practice…
By MATT HICKAM Regional Superintendent Regional Office of Education 30 By any measure, the job of keeping students safe has become more complex. For educators, safety is no longer confined to what happens inside school walls. It extends to parking lots, surrounding neighborhoods, and increasingly, to a digital and physical landscape where risks can emerge…
By BRAD ZAUN Regional Administrator Small Business Administration (SBA) We all remember the backbone of this country—the skilled hands, the innovative minds, and the resilient small businesses that build our modern life. Right now, those foundations are getting a vital boost through targeted support from the SBA’s Empower to Grow (E2G) Program. This isn’t just…
By MARK DENZLER Illinois Manufacturers’ Association For Illinois manufacturers and employers across the state, healthcare is not just a line item. It’s one of the fastest-growing costs of doing business. Rising premiums force difficult tradeoffs and influence hiring decisions, wage growth, capital investment, and long-term competitiveness. That is why legislation under consideration in Springfield to…
By ERIC KELLEY Executive VP, Chief Investment Officer UMB Private Wealth Management The first quarter of 2026 witnessed a mix of geopolitical and market events in rapid succession. There were major global headlines throughout the first quarter, and, on the home front, the tariff package was struck down by the Supreme court, a new chairman…
State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) is raising concerns over a proposal from Governor JB Pritzker to keep the Local Government Distributive Fund (LGDF) share rate flat at 6.23 percent for FY27. Schmidt warns that the move could shift the burden onto local taxpayers and force communities to make difficult financial decisions. Schmidt argues that local…
An analysis from the Center for American Progress finds that the Trump administration’s war in Iran is driving a sharp increase in gas prices in Illinois, with prices rising 40.3 percent since late February. Drivers in the state are now paying $4.27 per gallon, up $1.23, adding roughly $65 more per month for a typical…