The 2013 legislative session is in full swing and there are a number of good government reform bills that have been introduced by legislators of both parties. While much of the focus in the media and at the Illinois Policy Institute is rightly on big-dollar issues such as pension and Medicaid reform, there are many other issues...
State Rep. Tom Demmer, R-Dixon, is a freshman state legislator from the home of the infamous Rita Crundwell, the former Dixon Comptroller.
With the downturn in the economy, youll occasionally hear stories about thieves who steal public property such as manhole covers and sell the materials to scrap yards.
Officials are hot on the tracks of another menace threatening the well-being of Illinoisans: sugary drinks.
Today, former Dixon Comptroller Rita Crundwell was sentenced to 235 months more than 19.5 years in prison.
The Illinois House of Representatives met yesterday for the first time since being inaugurated on Jan. 9 to adopt the House Rules, HR 34. The most significant change in the rules for the 98th General Assembly is that all bills must receive the approval of the Rules Committee to be sent to substantive committees, where the legislation...
Yesterday, the Institute presented a certificate of achievement to the Hanover Township board of trustees in recognition of their efforts on website transparency.
Municipal Endorsements Village of Orland Park “Many different local municipalities have reached out to us since our scores (100%) were announced publicly, they want to know how we did it, and all the credit goes to the Illinois Policy Institute and their staff for working with us to improve our online transparency strategy.” – Joe LaMargo,...
Illinois Policy Institute’s Local Transparency Project grading rubric Eligible for the Sunshine Award A – 90% and Above B – between 80% and 89.99% Not eligible for the Sunshine Award C – between 70% and 79.99% D – between 60% and 69.99% F – 59.99% and lower Out of a possible 100 points. 1. Contact...
To be able to participate fully in democracy citizens need the ability to contact and interact with their elected representatives and government administrators.
Aside from crime, spending and transportation, Chicago leaders are looking to take a hard line on energy drinks
Imagine an Illinois economy so vibrant that companies felt they had to be in Illinois to reach their fullest potential. Imagine a tax environment so competitive that companies across the country battled to get a piece of Illinois real estate. Keep imagining, because this certainly isn’t a reality. The fact is, Illinois ranks 48th in economic...
A number of the new municipal laws going into effect for 2013 are related to increasing government transparency. These new laws include: Meeting agendas must contain the “general subject matter” for action items. (PA 97-827) Notices and agendas must be available for public review for 48 hours before meeting. (PA 97-827) Reports concerning sales tax rebate agreements...
Palos Hills Mayor: ‘Cities and villages will go bankrupt if this does not change’ Despite all of the media focus on the state’s troubled pension systems, a Southtown Star column byPhil Kander details the problems many suburbs face with the mounting debt of public employee pensions. Intense lobbying by labor unions to pass costly pension sweeteners have caused...