The Chicago Teachers Union has already created havoc for kids and parents in Chicago Public Schools, with 5 work stoppages in the past 11 years. Now lawmakers are giving principals and other employees union powers, creating more potential instability for students and parents.
Illinois has reached the four-year mark with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration. What do the past four years tell Illinoisans about what to expect in his second term?
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker extended his COVID-19 emergency powers into his second term. Illinois is 1 of only 9 states still claiming disaster status as a result of COVID-19.
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker approved raises for the statewide elected leaders just ahead of their inaugurations Jan. 9. State lawmakers will get $12,094 raises when they take office Jan. 11. Big hikes also went to Pritzker’s department leaders and their assistants.
October 2022 set a record high for sports betting in Illinois: over $1 billion in wagers, which was the third-highest state tally in the U.S.
The typical career state pensioner earns more in retirement than Illinoisans do working. Households now pay over three times more than they did nearly two decades ago to cover the costs.
A late Friday-night move would add nearly $12,000 to the salary of each state lawmaker, raise salaries for statewide elected leaders such as the governor, and boost salaries for agency directors and their subordinates. Plus, they get cost-of-living increases.
Chicago Public Schools’ top watchdog reported 470 sexual allegations from students against employees.
A scholarship program that has helped more than 9,000 low-income students choose to attend private schools will expire at the end of 2023 unless lawmakers expand the Invest in Kids Act.
The Chicago Teachers Union and other teachers’ unions oppose Invest in Kids, a tax-credit scholarship program that allows underprivileged children to attend private schools of their choice. Why would teachers advocate against a program that helps low-income students? Mailee Smith, staff attorney and director of labor policy at Illinois Policy Institute, refutes opponents’ false claims...
The Illinois Supreme Court stayed a provision of the SAFE-T Act set to take effect Jan. 1 that would have eliminated cash bail statewide after a county judge ruled it would violate the state constitution. The high court said it planned an “expedited” review.