Press Releases

Sign up for our press list to receive statements and press releases from the institute on breaking news, original research and more.

Thank you for signing up! You’re now on our press list and will receive our latest statements, press releases, and research updates. Stay tuned for timely insights straight from the institute.

Pension numbers yet another gimmick

The fine folks at the Illinois Policy Institute love numbers. They love to add them, subtract them, crunch them and analyze them. They also like to dispel them. The group’s cause of the day is the plan passed by lawmakers to resolve Illinois’ underfunded pension crisis. House Speaker Mike Madigan quickly pinned a medal on...

Illinois Policy Institute announces launch of “Illinois Policy Action”

Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman released the following statement today: “Special interests and lobbyists flooded the state capitol last week as lawmakers rushed a pension bill to the governor’s desk. But as has become the norm in Illinois, an important stakeholder was left out of the conversations: taxpayers. “It has become clear with every...

Fox Business: Why is the municipal bond market shrinking?

Illinois Policy Institute Vice President of Policy Ted Dabrowski joined Gerri Willis on Fox Business to discuss the municipal bond market.

Former New Athens mayor denies conflict of interest on tax issue

by Daniel Kelley Former New Athens Mayor Gary Kearns had a conflict of interest in supporting a tax incentive for property he partially owned and sold to a developer for $150,000, according to a village trustee and nonprofit litigation group. Kearns denies there was any conflict of interest. Kearns was mayor of the village of...

Analyzing the proposed Illinois pension deal

More pension fun from Tuesday morning’s show, this time with John Tillman, CEO of Illinois Policy Institute.  We asked him about many of the details of the proposed pension deal, including the fake defined contribution option that’s inside: It’s a fake 401k plan to seduce Republican votes in the legislature.  [There’s a] provision that says they can claw all...

Illinois slouches toward bankruptcy

Illinois Policy Institute Vice President of Policy Ted Dabrowski joined Mary Kissel on WSJ Live to discuss Illinois’ lackluster pension reform.

Legislature sends “déjà vu” pension bill to Gov. Quinn

Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman issued the following statement regarding the pension bill approved by the state legislature today: “Today the Illinois legislature sent a pension bill to Gov. Pat Quinn. It is important to be clear about what this bill is and is not. Let’s start with what this bill is not. This...

Lawmakers return to vote on pension ‘fix’

Illinois lawmakers return to Springfield this week to vote on pension reform. Carol Marin and her guests discuss the deal, and what it would mean for employees. Joining Carol are Laurence Msall, president of The Civic Federation, John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute, Dan Montgomery, president and chief operating officer for Illinois Federation of Teachers, and Ralph Martire, executive...