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Illinois Economy Hampered By Low Consumer Spending

Economist Edward Boss says Illinois' recovery from the Great Recession has been slow because consumer spending has been lethargic.
Economist Edward Boss says Illinois' recovery from the Great Recession has been slow because consumer spending has been lethargic.

Illinois government has been collecting a lot less money since an income tax rollback took effect at the beginning of last year. On Tuesday, officials warned that problems in the broader economy could make things even worse.

Brian Mackey reports on danger signs for the Illinois economy.

Economist Edward Boss says Illinois' recovery from the Great Recession has been slow because consumer spending has been lethargic.
Economist Edward Boss says Illinois' recovery from the Great Recession has been slow because consumer spending has been lethargic.

Jim Muschinske, a non-partisan budget analyst, says Illinois sales tax collections have been mostly flat. That’s surprising, because with the tax cut, people ought to have more money to spend. The thing is — they’re just not spending it.

“When the consumer starts to fade, bad things typically follow," Muschinske says.

He says when you combine slower spending with the epic drop in gas prices, Illinois is expected to lose $230 million in sales taxes. To put that in context: $230 million is more than Illinois normally spends on Chicago State, Eastern, Western and Northern Illinois universities, combined.

Overall, tax revenue for the current budget year could be off by more than $440 million — putting the possibility of a balanced budget that much more out of reach.

Copyright 2016 NPR Illinois | 91.9 UIS

Brian Mackey covers Illinois state government and politics from the WUIS Statehouse bureau. He was previously A&E editor at The State Journal-Register and Statehouse bureau chief for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. He can be reached at (217) 206-6020.
Brian Mackey
Brian Mackey formerly reported on state government and politics for NPR Illinois and a dozen other public radio stations across the state. Before that, he was A&E editor at The State Journal-Register and Statehouse bureau chief for the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin.