Illinois has a serious corruption problem. Illinois is ranked as the third-most corrupt state in the country. When it comes to fighting corruption, proactive online transparency is one of the greatest tools a local government agency can implement. It’s also an essential tool to educate and engage citizens to participate fully in the democratic process. During Sunshine Week...
In January, I wrote about my ordeal in obtaining my local school district’s collective bargaining agreement. The public, including taxpayers like me, wasn’t allowed to examine the new teachers’ contract until 38 days after the contract was approved by the board. Once I finally got ahold of the contract I found out the teacher salary raises were...
What do elected officials of the nation’s third-largest city do when only four out of every 10 kids who start freshman year at a public high school graduate and only six out of every 100 freshmen go on to get four-year college degrees? What else would such officials have to do when murders in this city...
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