Illinois’ finances would look very different today if it adopted tax systems like its Midwestern neighbors do, according to a new video that breaks down the differences.

That’s the message Illinois Senate President John Cullerton has been delivering around the state for years and that the Illinois Economic Policy Institute acknowledged in its new video that explains how Illinois stacks up against Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa.

A recent study credits Illinois’ 2011 workers’ compensation reforms with now lowering average payments below neighboring Indiana’s.

The law passed four years ago cut fees by 30 percent, which led to a 15 percent drop in medical payments over a 12-month period that ended in Sept. 30, 2013. Workers’ compensation insurance rates also began to fall.

As a result, Illinois is seeing lower payments even as basic worker protections are upheld and Illinois workers, on average, make 27 percent more than their counterparts in Indiana.

Illinois is one of three states that showed declines in payment from 2010-11 to 2013-14.

Crain’s: Illinois workers' comp costs fall below Indiana, Wisconsin

Insurance Journal: Illinois Workers’ Comp Premium Rate High but Improving

Illinois vs. Indiana – Workers’ Compensation

It is no secret that Illinois has some of the best universities in the world. With top ranked institutions such as The University of Chicago and The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois universities offer an unparalleled access to great education.

Recently, U-Chicago and U of I were named among the top 25 schools responsible for the greatest advances in science by US News college rankings.

The rankings are the culmination of a study that emphasizes lasting contributions to society; the primary focus being on science technology, engineering, medicine and mathematics.

The Illinois schools are among good company. Other institutions that made the list include Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford.

Illinois’ history is littered with famous accomplishments, including the first skyscraper, the first cell phone and dozens of other world-changing inventions. It is the home state of three American presidents and the birthplace of a fourth. It has a population in the millions and an economy that can compete on a global scale. However, all of these achievements are built on the state’s natural resources.

Wind, water, minerals, soil and plant life have all shaped the lives of Illinois’ residents, as has Illinois’ position at the crossroads of North America.