The 2024 Chicago school board elections may have marked a turning point in public perception of the Chicago Teachers Union’s political muscle. Of the $2.8 million CTU and its affiliates spent, 75% went to losing candidates. It could impact union elections.
In the April 2024 municipal elections, Kane County leaders proposed a $51 million retail tax hike. A grassroots citizens group called Kane County Speaks campaigned against the measure. Not only did they defeat it, they inspired the highest voter turnout the county had seen for a municipal election in decades. Here’s how they did it...
Illinois leaders keep using tax hikes as a budget quick-fix, but the state’s fiscal troubles – and the taxpayer burden – persist. Here are the 70 tax and fee hikes state leaders have imposed during the past 15 years.
Chicago Teachers Union members have reason to question the leadership of President Stacy Davis Gates heading into the May 16 union election. Her many scandals have driven down the union’s reputation.
Illinois teachers are required to contribute 9% of their salary toward pensions, but many school districts “pick up” this cost – putting the pension burden on taxpayers.
The Illinois state affiliate of the Service Employees International Union collected over $3 million in dues from members in 2024. It spent just $57,000 of that representing them. Politics and overhead were the union’s priorities.
House Bill 1368 builds on previous literacy efforts by state lawmakers in 2023. If passed, professional development for literacy instruction would be aligned with “science of reading” strategies.
Illinois has the third-highest corporate income taxes in the nation. These are some of the most harmful taxes to economic growth, particularly in times of economic hardship.
Illinois had a slight decrease in food assistance recipients in January, yet the state’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation remains higher than it was a decade ago and ahead of neighboring states.
A new law took effect this year allowing foreign-trained physicians to apply for limited licenses on an accelerated path to permanently practice medicine in Illinois.
Tariffs by President Donald Trump sent markets tumbling and temporarily hurt public pension investments. While the markets recovered, the episode showed Chicago’s pension systems are extremely fragile.
The median Chicago residence paid $2,059 in property taxes just to support Chicago Public Schools in 2024, 62% more than they paid 15 years ago. More than half of a Chicago homeowners’ property tax bill now goes to CPS.