Illinois had a shot at Buc-ee’s. It got away. Now the company’s CEO is explaining why business climate matters when choosing where to invest, hire and grow, raising a bigger question: How many opportunities is Illinois driving away?
As major employers close, corporate headquarters leave and the Chicago Bears look to Indiana, Illinois faces a deeper question: Has state leadership created an economy where businesses, workers and investment still have compelling reasons to stay?
Lawmakers' pay has risen nearly 45% since 2019, outpacing the average worker's paycheck as Illinois families face rising costs, high taxes and affordability concerns. The numbers raise tough questions about priorities.
After more than a century in Illinois, the Chicago Bears are moving forward with plans to build a new stadium in Hammond, Indiana, raising questions about how state leaders lost one of Illinois' most iconic institutions.
The vote happened at 4:13 a.m. The budget totaled $55.9 billion. Now taxpayers are asking why Springfield found money for nearly everything except meaningful relief for the people paying the bill.
How years of delay, lost leverage, and a frantic push for controversial tax incentives turned a stadium negotiation into a defining test of leadership for Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Democrats.
