Soon Congress will take up the SCHIP expansion bill that was vetoed by President Bush. Congress needs to uphold the president's veto of this bill and prevent a serious move towards socialized medicine. The SCHIP program was meant to cover poor children, but Congress is trying to move adults into government-run health care. As if this wasn't bad enough, the proposed $35 billion expansion would be funded by yet another huge tax hike! This time, the target is smokers, to the tune of 61 cents per pack.

FreedomWorks applauds Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich for his
signature on SB 1700, the Public Utilities Act. The legislation, intended to increase cable competition, was sponsored by Sen. James Clayborne and Rep. James Brosnahan. FreedomWorks’ Illinois activists labored since 2005 to bring cable choice to Illinois, and FreedomWorks proudly congratulates the Illinois legislature for taking the lead on this important legislation.

The liberal tax-and-spend bunch is at it again – this time with a regressive tax hike scheme that would give Chicago-area residents and visitors the blues.

The plan proposed by Cook County Board President John Stroger would double the tax on cigarettes from $1 to $2 per pack, plus extend the tax to other tobacco products including cigars and chewing tobacco. It would also increase taxes on hotel stays by 2%.

On August 18, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a $1.06 billion class action judgment by a lower court (Avery et al. v State Farm) addressing the use of automobile collision repair parts by insurers. The case is an important victory for consumers and an important step toward a more sensible legal system.