Political Rewind: Past Salary Info No Longer on Illinois Transparency Website

Editor's Note: This article was created by aggregating news articles from Illinois Statehouse News that were written by various Illinois Statehouse News reporters.

Past salary info no longer on IL transparency website

Illinois has a limit to how much information it is willing to share with the public on its transparency website. 

The state’s transparency portal, created in the spring of 2010, no longer carries state employees’ salaries from 2008, 2009 and 2010. 

"This last summer we went on the website looking for past salary information, and noticed it was no longer there," said Mark Cavers, a government reform policy analyst with think tank Illinois Policy Institute, or IPI. "(The state) took the extra step of taking this information down." 

Taxpayers, however, can find current salaries for state employees as well as state spending and the number of rest stops, among other information. 

When IPI pressed for a reason as to why only salary information for 2011 was posted, Cavers said it was a “policy decision.” 

Illinois Statehouse News reached out to the Illinois Department of Central Management Services, or CMS, which operates the transparency website, and was not provided with an explanation.

Cities caught in tax break conundrum

A tax break package could mean new jobs for Illinois’ cities still reeling from the financial fallout of the Great Recession, or it could cost them a collective $55 million drop in tax revenue by 2014.

The Legislature is working on a tax incentive package to give the business community a booster shot after it was bruised by the Great Recession and a 47-percent business income tax hike in January. The package also includes a tripling of the earned income tax credit, a tax break for low-income families.

If that plan fails to create more jobs, however, the state would lose $848 million in tax revenue, 6 percent, or $55 million, of which would have gone to local municipalities, cities like Alton in southwestern Illinois.

Alton has eliminated 60 positions in its municipal government through attrition in an effort to avoid raising taxes and creating a deficit, Mayor Tom Hoechst said.

Cost of tax breaks up as support wanes

A tax break package meant to boost a business community hit by the GreatRecession could cost the state $848 million in just three years.

The only funding source specifically outlined to date for the package is a change to the Illinois tax code that would bring in $571 million next year and $354 million in 2013 before running dry.

At the same time, the provisions would cost more and more. By 2014, the state would face $848 million in lost tax revenue, a number that would only grow.

But that’s assuming no significant jobs are added or businesses expanded, the opposite of the intent of the package, state Rep. Ed Sullivan, R-Mundelein, said at an Illinois House Revenue Committee hearing Wednesday.

“If we’re stagnant, and don’t succeed, then we’re looking at that. But we’re anticipating this creating an economic climate to spur growth,” Sullivan said.

The heart of the tax break package is intended to keep two huge tax-paying businesses — the CME Group, which operates the Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and Sears Corp.—from leaving the state after the income tax on corporations was increased by 47 percent. The tax hike is touted as “temporary” and is scheduled to expire in four years.

Camera experiments to start soon in 14 federal courts

U.S. District Courts in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are among 14 nationwide in a three-year test program making video recordings available online from certain civil cases. 

Kansas could start "within the next few weeks" according to Neely Fedde, the Public Outreach Specialist for the District of Kansas federal courts. Kansas judges participating in the Cameras in Court pilot include Chief Judge Kathryn Vratil and Judge Carlos Murguia in Kansas City, Judge Julie Robinson in Topeka, and Judges Tom Martenand Eric Melgren in Wichita. 

The pilot is limited to civil proceedings. Recordings will require approval of the presiding judge and consent from all parties in a case. 

Fedde explained that a new court rule effective Sept. 1 allowed the District of Kansas courts to participate in the pilot project. "We have also been developing internal policies and procedures for obtaining consent from the parties who are participating in proceedings which are eligible for recording."