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.
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 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.
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.
It’s a simple choice for Illinois’ top legislative leaders this fall: listen to the over $1 million each got in campaign cash from teachers unions, or back the futures of 9,600 low-income students with a tax credit that is barely a blip in the $50 billion state budget.
Being in the top 10 of Illinois’ five statewide pension systems is an investor’s dream and a taxpayer’s nightmare. The median investment is shy of $166,000, but the estimated lifetime payout is $5.5 million.
Illinois lawmakers passed a bill giving teachers 10 paid days off for union advocacy if elected to union leadership positions.
The bulk of those leaving Illinois are aged 26-54 and their dependents.
This edition of The Policy Shop is by Mailee Smith, staff attorney and director of labor policy. People who go to the Illinois Statehouse almost always want something. One way to tell what they want is by looking at the legislation they support or oppose. That’s one way we’ve learned so much about just how...
Illinois labor leaders claimed their push to enshrine public union supremacy in the Illinois Constitution was the “blueprint” for other states. Now both California and Pennsylvania are following Illinois’ lead.
The typical racing fan will pay an extra $22 for general admission to Chicago’s NASCAR “Street Race Weekend” thanks to the city’s amusement tax. Luxury seating could cost residents more than the price of a standard ticket in taxes alone.
The Chicago Teachers Union registered its opinion on legislation more than 1,360 times in just six legislative sessions. Its legislative priorities would drive up taxes and make government more expensive, no matter where you live in Illinois.
The Chicago Teachers Union pours money into political campaigns, but that isn’t all. It also pressures lawmakers to abide by its legislative agenda. It’s a one-two political punch: helping elect lawmakers and then telling them what to do.