The Policy Shop

The Policy Shop


Ep. 5: Pensions 101: Understanding IL’s pension crisis

September 27, 2021

Illinoisans pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation. In fact, all the other state and local taxes we pay add up to one of the highest financial burdens in the U.S. So how come our grandchildren will still inherit $219 billion in debt from the state – roughly $45,000 for every household? Adam Schuster, senior director of budget and tax research at the Illinois Policy Institute, explains how Illinois’ pension crisis grew to be the worst in the nation, and what steps Illinoisans can take to fix it.