• A Guide to Services of State Administrative
Agencies, ed. by Andrea J. Wollock, publication
148, Illinois Legislative Council (January 1977),
188pp. Covers services and functions performed
by Illinois constitutional officers, code departments, and other administrative agencies. Arranged both by agency and subject matter.
• Handbook of Illinois Government (February
1977), 128pp., and "New Members: 80th General
Assembly, 1977-1978," (February 1977), 22pp.,
Illinois Secretary of State. The handbook is a
basic reference on state government, including a
review of the election process and information on
state officials. Short biographical sketches of
freshman legislators in the General Assembly are
provided in the "New Members" booklet. • "Property Taxes in Illinois," report of the Joint
Subcommittee to Study the Property Tax, to the
Illinois General Assembly (1976), 64pp. plus
appendix. Summarizes the subcommittee's
legislative program, discussions with Illinois
assessing officials about that program, and initial
review of the business personal property tax and
the state constitutional provision for removal of
that tax in 1979. Work relating to the personal
property tax will be described in a separate report.
• "The Illinois Property Tax System," Office of
Financial Affairs, Illinois Department of Local
Government Affairs (November 1976), 24pp.
Intended as "a basic introduction to the property
tax system for the average taxpayer." • "Equity in Federal Funding: A First Step,"
Illinois Bureau of the Budget (December 9, 1976),
40pp Documents and analyzes imbalances in
federal domestic outlays, with the South and West
receiving far more than they pay in federal taxes
than does the industrial North. The report focuses
on three federal programs — Medicaid / AFDC,
Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Community Development Block
grant program — which distributed almost $19
billion in fiscal year 1976. Suggests specific
alternatives to existing formulas and estimates the
impact of using these alternatives. • "1977 Financial Aids to Illinois Students,"
State Board of Education[1977], 133pp.(4th
edition). Includes detailed information on the G.I.
Bill and Illinois State Scholarship laws, a general
overview of financial aid; information on all Illinois universities and colleges; and bibliography.
• "Illinois Coal; Development Potential," by
Ramesh Malhotra and Jack A. Simon, Illinois
Minerals Note (Illinois State Geological Survey),
no. 65 (November 1976), 20pp. Recent projections
suggest that by 1985 U.S. coal production will
double. This report examines the position of
Illinois coal (Illinois is the second state in the
nation in coal reserves); the coal supply that may
be needed from state mines through 1985; and
some factors that appear to be limiting coal
development in the state. • "Workmen's Compensation Insurance," final
report of the Workmen's Compensation Insurance Subcommittee, Illinois Insurance Laws Study Commission (February 1977), 74pp. This subcommittee was formed to investigate recent increases in the cost of workmen's compensation insurance, some the result of changes in Illinois
workmen's compensation laws. In this report, the many factors affecting cost are analyzed. Items listed under State Documents have been
received by the Documents Unit, Illinois State
Library, Springfield, and are usually available
from public libraries in the state through
interlibrary loan. Requests for copies should be
sent to the issuing agency./ S. C.
August 1977 / Illinois Issues / 25