Jeff ‘Rafi’ Boyd
Jeff ‘Rafi’ Boyd
“I came to the realization while I was incarcerated that I had to make some serious, life-changing decisions. I had obviously made a bad career choice. I made a conscious effort and decision to turn my life around.”
Illinois lawmakers get $4,250 raise just months after $12,000 raise
Illinois lawmakers get $4,250 raise just months after $12,000 raise
Illinois state lawmakers had tried to bump their pay by 5.5%, but that violated the state constitution. The must settle for 5%, meaning they will make nearly $90,000 a year.
$6.6B gap in Illinois reserve funds is far from ‘fiscal responsibility’
$6.6B gap in Illinois reserve funds is far from ‘fiscal responsibility’
Illinois’ rainy-day fund is at an all-time high, but remains $6.6 billion less than recommended by state budget experts. Illinois state government can operate for fewer than 13 days on what it’s saved.
Illinois 1 of 3 states banning you from using fireworks
Illinois 1 of 3 states banning you from using fireworks
Independence Day means residents of 47 states will celebrate their freedom by choosing to set off fireworks. Not in Illinois.
The Policy Shop: Chicago Public Schools’ graduation inflation
The Policy Shop: Chicago Public Schools’ graduation inflation
This edition of The Policy Shop comes from policy analyst Hannah Max. The New York Times shocked many readers when it reported last week that student test scores in our public schools aren’t great. To some of us, this was unsurprising. Still, it’s bad. “The math and reading performance of 13-year-olds in the United States has...
Illinois again taxing your groceries starting July 1
Illinois again taxing your groceries starting July 1
Illinoisans will notice more expensive food July 1 when Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s election-year suspension of the grocery tax expires. Only Illinois and 12 other states will tax groceries then.
5 years after Janus v. AFSCME, unions are smaller but more militant
5 years after Janus v. AFSCME, unions are smaller but more militant
The U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Illinois state worker Mark Janus in 2018 gave government workers the ability to stop funding government union politics. Chastened unions could have reformed. Instead, they got extreme.
Illinoisans get 2nd gas tax hike of 2023 just before Independence Day
Illinoisans get 2nd gas tax hike of 2023 just before Independence Day
Illinoisans face the second gas tax hike of 2023 on July 1. The 3.1 cent hike doesn’t need lawmaker approval, thanks to state leaders implementing automatic gas tax hikes.
The Chicago Teachers Union’s bad business model
The Chicago Teachers Union’s bad business model
Vallas: The truth about the 2013 school closures the Chicago Teachers Union doesn’t want you to hear
Vallas: The truth about the 2013 school closures the Chicago Teachers Union doesn’t want you to hear
In 2013, Chicago closed 50 nearly empty schools. Since then, the CTU has barred charters and other schools from using these empty buildings to provide schooling options for local students. After railing against these school closures, CTU leadership locked students out of full-time, in-person learning for 17 months during 2020-21.
Illinois high school students struggle, yet graduation rate hits 10-year high
Illinois high school students struggle, yet graduation rate hits 10-year high
Illinois celebrated its highest graduation rate in a decade. But high school student proficiency and average SAT scores are dropping as chronic absenteeism increases across the state.
The Policy Shop: The past, present and future of worker freedom
The Policy Shop: The past, present and future of worker freedom
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Mailee Smith, staff attorney and senior director of labor policy. On this fifth anniversary of U.S. Supreme Court justices issuing their ruling in Janus v. AFSCME, we’re witnessing a radical transformation in the labor movement and of government unions across America. The Supreme Court’s ruling. In their decision, justices acknowledged...
Chicago cops demand parental leave after mayor gives it to teachers
Chicago cops demand parental leave after mayor gives it to teachers
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson handed parental leave to his former employers at the Chicago Teachers Union with no negotiation. Now the city’s police union wants it.
Illinois unemployment 4th worst in U.S., job growth slows in May
Illinois unemployment 4th worst in U.S., job growth slows in May
While government jobs outpaced the overall growth for the month, manufacturing and construction took the biggest losses as the unemployment rate remains among the worst in the nation.