‘Transparency’ on Illinois legislative maps begins behind closed doors

05/07/2021

Democratic state lawmakers were given a private look at new Illinois House district maps. Partisan legislative maps and gerrymandering seem to be surviving ‘transparency.’

TAGS: Chris Welch, fair maps, JB Pritzker, legislative district, transparency

Illinois corruption reforms gain momentum with Madigan gone

By Joe Tabor

03/04/2021

With Mike Madigan out as Illinois House speaker, state lawmakers have a unique opportunity to turn around the second-most corrupt state in the country. Ethics proposals are gaining support.

TAGS: Chris Welch, corruption, ethics, Mike Madigan, resignation

Speaker Welch says Illinois’ financial disclosure forms are ‘worthless’

By Joe Tabor

03/02/2021

The new speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives referred to state lawmakers’ statements of economic interest forms as confusing and a ‘worthless piece of document.’ They can be fixed.

TAGS: Chris Welch, conflict of interest, financial disclosure

Illinois House speaker unwilling to take voters’ ‘no’ on ‘fair tax’ for an answer

By Adam Schuster

02/25/2021

Just more than three months after voters soundly rejected a progressive state income tax, new Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch is trying to revive the idea as a fix for state pensions. There is a better solution than the failed ‘fair tax’ scheme.

TAGS: Chris Welch, progressive income tax

With Madigan out, now is the time to reform the House Rules

By Joe Tabor

02/09/2021

The House Rules allowed Madigan to accumulate unprecedented power in the Illinois speaker’s office and helped enable a culture of corruption in Springfield. With Madigan out, reformers have a shot at changing the House Rules.

TAGS: Chris Welch, corruption, house rules, Mike Madigan

Madigan’s reign ends as longest-serving legislative leader in U.S. history

By Austin Berg

01/13/2021

Illinoisans watched the politically impossible become the politically inevitable.

TAGS: Chris Welch, corruption, House Speaker, Illinois House of Representatives, Mike Madigan

Emails detail Madigan’s use of ComEd as crony job service

12/02/2020

Emails between indicted former employees of ComEd show hiring at the company was based on what Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan wanted.

TAGS: Chris Welch, corruption, Eddie Acevedo, Kathleen Willis, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan

Term limits popular with local voters, but Illinois state lawmakers try to blunt reforms

By Vincent Caruso

01/02/2019

Since 2014 alone, voters in 11 suburban Cook County communities approved term limits on elected leaders. A bill in the Illinois General Assembly seeks to curb those reforms.

TAGS: Chris Welch, harvey, Sam McCann, term limits

How a ballot selfie could put you in jail in Illinois

By Austin Berg

09/27/2018

There are clear First Amendment issues with outlawing this kind of political speech.

TAGS: Chris Welch, First Amendment, Illinois Election Code

Cursive mandate greets Illinois elementary school students this fall

By Vincent Caruso

08/21/2018

Lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto of a 2017 bill mandating cursive instruction in all public elementary schools in Illinois. That measure becomes law this year.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, Chris Welch, ISFRC: Illinois School Funding Reform Commission

Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

Illinois is home to one of the worst pension crises in the country.1 At 39% funded, according to the nonpartisan Pew Charitable Trusts, Illinois has the worst pension funding ratio of any state.2 By contrast, neighboring Wisconsin’s pension system is 103% funded.3 In fiscal year 2022, Illinois’ total general funds pension costs, including pension bond...

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Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

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Susie Warden

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students