Recovering from a COVID (Spending) Fever

When the state of Illinois’ 2022 fiscal year ended on June 30, 2022, the state and the nation had endured more than 27 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a plethora of health, societal, and economic challenges, Illinois emerged from this period in its strongest fiscal position in more than two decades. This fortuitous result was in part due to the exceptional generosity of federal aid but also was attributable to surges in economic activity and own source tax revenue. State spending also rose but much more slowly than revenue. The net result was the first substantially positive fiscal balance since 1998. While this good news may be cause to celebrate, we caution that Illinois’ fiscal situation remains tenuous and is likely to require diligence and restraint to remain healthy in the coming years.

Replenish, Replace, Repair: How Illinois is Using its ARPA Aid

In the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the United States found themselves grappling with a public health crisis while simultaneously experiencing sharp declines in revenue collections. For the State of Illinois, this situation was especially challenging as it had little in reserve funds and billions in backlogged bills. Illinois’ fiscal challenges had been building for years, and so the fiscal effects of the pandemic compounded the state’s financial predicament.

In this article, we focus on the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund (SLFRF) program, which set aside $350 billion in
flexible federal aid to states, counties, cities, Tribal governments, territories, and the District of Columbia. Under that program, Illinois’ state government was allocated $8.1 billion in federal aid that state lawmakers have a relatively broad level of discretion over how to spend.1 To put that $8.1 billion in context, Illinois’ total appropriations in Fiscal Year (FY) 2019—the last full fiscal year before the pandemic—were about $106 billion, of which $37 billion were General Funds appropriations.

The Opioid Epidemic Meets the COVID-19 Pandemic (Forum)

Women’s Housing Precarity During and Beyond COVID-19

COVID-19 has amplified gendered disparities in caregiving, work, and housing in the United States. This Policy Spotlight brings together the latest research and data to discuss the intersection of these disparities with regard to the anticipated eviction crisis in Illinois. Housing insecurity and potential evictions will affect thousands of Illinois single-parent households, most of whom are female-headed, and disproportionately Black and Latino. This will likely lead to a sustained crisis of financial, health, and housing fluctuation, and set back historic gains in women’s equality.The recent $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that was signed into law in March 2021 is an important step in the right direction, as are the federal moratorium extension and federal endeavors. However, there are challenges with getting assistance to where it is needed. There is a need for both wise allocation of these resources and the infusion of additional interventions to stave off the devastating effects of eviction. Upstream approaches must be put in place now, especially because landlords are filing actions in court despite the moratorium.

Geographic Differences in the Mortality Burden of the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study examines how the mortality burden of the Covid-19 pandemic varied across US states during the time period April 2020 through December 2022. The disparities were substantial, with figures ranging from 318 years of life lost (YLL) per 10,000 population in New York to 1,285 YLL per 10,000 population in New Mexico. Illinois experienced a loss of 588 YLL per 10,000, situating it within the bottom third of states in terms of total loss of life. Overall, Southern and Western states exhibited the highest YLL, while Northeastern states, the upper Midwest, and the Pacific Northwest exhibited the lowest YLL. States that voted for the 2020 Republican presidential candidate experienced greater losses. This loss of life will have multifaceted implications for public finances.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on State Court Proceedings

This Policy Spotlight was created through a partnership with the National Center for State Courts. The authors examine the ways COVID-19 mitigation policies affected state courts during the pandemic and highlight areas where changes intended to keep courts functioning led to uneven access. The report draws its findings from surveys and focus groups that included litigants, lawyers, judges and court personnel. It is the first in a series from IGPA that will explore how COVID-19 affected access to justice during the pandemic, and it comes as Illinois and other states evaluate the impact of the pandemic and consider how court proceedings may operate in the future.

Celebrate this milestone with us!

Seventy-five years ago today, the University of Illinois Board of Trustees established the Institute of Government and Public Affairs. We are so proud of the 75 years of impact that IGPA scholars have had. Since its creation in 1947 by the Illinois General Assembly and the Board of Trustees, IGPA has been the place where objective, world-class research and public policy meet. Over the years, IGPA’s role has evolved, whether it has been providing research to the Illinois Legislature, convening new Working Groups that map to needs of the state, or facilitating internships and fellowships to promote Illinois’ public policy leaders.

Congratulations to all of you for making IGPA the People’s Policy Think Tank!

The Opioid Epidemic Meets the COVID-19 Pandemic (Forum)