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LOMBARD, Illinois—Capping a year of effort, the Village of Lombard received the Illinois Policy Institute’s Transparency Award at this past Thursday’s Village Board meeting. During the award presentation, the Illinois Policy Institute’s Director of Government Reform, Brian Costin, recognized the Village of Lombard for enacting the strongest government transparency policy in the state and announced...
A report released this morning by the Illinois Policy Institute outlines yet another reason Illinois should abandon the defined benefit pension system and adopt a 401(k)-style retirement program for government workers: The “cost shift” for teacher retirements is more affordable and predictable under a 401(k)-style system. This week and next, Illinois lawmakers are discussing who...
by Ciara McCarthy After months spent in a legal back-and-forth, the dispute between Evanston and food truck Beavers Coffee and Donuts is now back where it all started. A Cook County judge ruled Tuesday the case would proceed after several steps slowed down its progress. Beavers initially filed a lawsuit against the city in August to...
The Liberty Justice Center filed an amended complaint in Illinois Liberty PAC et. al. v. Madigan et al., 12 C 5811, which currently is pending in the federal district court in Chicago. This case challenges Illinois campaign finance law, the Illinois Disclosure and Regulation of Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Act, on First Amendment grounds. Illinois’...
Illinois lawmakers could vote as early as this afternoon on a pension proposal put forth by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, but the proposal falls dramatically short of the serious policy changes Illinois’ pension systems need. The Illinois Policy Institute has been a leading voice for pension reform in Illinois for years. In February, the...
The hearing scheduled for Friday, April 26 in the case of Wailand v. City of Macomb has been canceled. The hearing was scheduled at the conclusion of the April 8 evidentiary hearing held in this case to allow the city of Macomb to provide additional evidence in support of its position. On Thursday, the city...
Western Illinois University student Steven Wailand will be seated as 2nd Ward alderman in the city of Macomb after a McDonough County judge ruled in his favor in a case that sought to uphold the definition of majority. In February, the city of Macomb held elections for several city offices, including the 2nd Ward alderman...
The Illinois Policy Institute’s Ted Dabrowski on the impact of an Internet sales tax.