I recently had the opportunity to do some fill-in work on The Steve Gruber Show and was thrilled to be joined by Hillsdale alum and Wall Street Journal opinion page writer Jillian Kay Melchior. Click below for the audio:
Could Increased School Choice End Illinois Funding Fight?
Could expanding school choice in Illinois be the solution to funding talks? A prominent education reform advocate wants Illinois to adopt a tax-credit scholarship program as a part of any deal.
Dem Blames Madigan For Rauner’s Win
A Democrat running for Illinois governor blames House Speaker Michael Madigan for creating the environment that allowed Gov. Bruce Rauner to win in 2014.
IRS phone scams spike in Illinois
The Better Business Bureau is warning of a recent spike in phone scam attempts across Illinois.
Steve Bernas, president and CEO of Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, says this is a long-running operation in which people pose as IRS agents and demand immediate payment.
Illinois could become latest state to legalize switchblade knives
A bill now on Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk would eliminate a decades-old ban that state Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, says never made much sense to begin with.
I write for Illinois News Network.
Jason Riley: False Black Power?
I recently had the chance to talk to Jason Riley about his new book, “False Black Power?”. Jason is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal, and a commentator for Fox News.
In “False Black Power?”, he takes an honest look at why increased black political power has not paid off in the ways that civil rights leadership has promised. The key to black economic advancement today, he argues, is overcoming cultural handicaps, not attaining more political power.
Here’s the audio:
Illinois Tax Hike Falls Short of Revenue Expectations
Five years ago last month, another tax hike was hitting pocketbooks around the state of Illinois.
In June 2012, a dollar-per-pack cigarette tax increase raised the state levy from 98 cents to $1.98. The same law also increased taxes on other products such as loose tobacco and supplies. Supporters estimated the state would see an additional $350 million each year from the hikes.
A review of data from the Illinois Department of Revenue, however, shows the number never has come close to the goal.
