Press Room

Chicago Teachers Union says requiring members to pay into their own retirement fund is a “pay cut” – IL Policy Institute reaction

CHICAGO (May 6, 2015) – Public school teachers in the city are supposed to save 9 percent of each paycheck in their own retirement account. But for 34 years taxpayers have picked up most of the tab, thanks to a perk in the contract with the Chicago Teachers Union. In the latest round of contract...

Policy experts line up in debate over right-to-work in Illinois

This article was written by Michael Lucci and posted on Madison County Record Online on May 5, 2015. In recent years, three of Illinois’ neighbors – Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin – have passed statewide right-to-work laws that no longer require employees to join a labor union and pay membership dues even if that union represents workers...

Expert available to discuss workers’ compensation reform

SPRINGFIELD (May 5, 2015) – Today, the entire Illinois House of Representatives will meet in a rare chamber-wide meeting to discuss workers’ compensation reform. Economic experts at the Illinois Policy Institute are available to comment on the need for workers’ compensation reform, and to explain why the state’s broken workers’ compensation system puts Illinois at...

Residents say Northeastern Illinois University is unfairly taking their homes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALelc6rXPSE Imagine owning a business or piece of property for years–even decades–then suddenly having it taken away. Well, that’s the dilemma facing a handful of people on the Northwest Side. Jacob Huebert, Senior Attorney with the Liberty Justice Center, joined Fox Chicago to discuss. Full Story

Home alone

Jeffrey Schwab, Staff Attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, joined John Howell on WLS 890AM to discuss the current law that restricts Illinois parents from leaving children under the age of 13 at home alone.

New BLS jobs report: Decline in manufacturing jobs hurts Illinois economy

CHICAGO (April 21, 2015) – Today, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released jobs data on Illinois that showed the following: Illinois’ workforce shrunk by more than 10,000 people in March, and a continued decline in the state’s manufacturing sector is hurting the state’s overall economic recovery. Today’s data release offers a more detailed look...

State jobs report for March mostly bad news: Employment losses, few sector gains

CHICAGO (April 16, 2015) – New state jobs numbers released this afternoon by the Illinois Department of Employment Security showed mostly bad news for Illinois during the month of March. According to IDES, Illinois lost 1,800 net payroll jobs last month, the unemployment rate for March stayed unchanged at 6 percent. Michael Lucci, director of...

Illinois’ spending problem

Our Director of Jobs and Growth, Michael Lucci, joined “Bishop on air” on WMAY-AM to discuss the state’s spending problem.