Illinois corruption package is light on needed reforms

By Joe Tabor

05/27/2021

Senate Bill 4, the likely vehicle for ethics reform in Springfield, offers slight improvements over the Madigan era. But if Illinois is serious about ending its culture of corruption, key points need more muscle.

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, ethics reform, Illinois

Democrats’ legislative maps slam GOP after Pritzker breaks veto promise

By Brad Weisenstein

05/24/2021

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave fellow Democrats a very clear signal to gerrymander state legislative maps when he backed off his veto threat and said he trusted them to be fair. Mike Madigan-style maps place 23 Republicans into races against other incumbents.

TAGS: Democratic Party, gerrymandering, JB Pritzker, legislative map

Madigan quits as party chair day after picking his House successor

By Brad Weisenstein

02/22/2021

Mike Madigan quit as Democratic Party of Illinois chairman a day after picking his successor for the Illinois House, four days after resigning as representative and one month after he was ousted as the nation's longest-serving Statehouse speaker.

TAGS: Democratic Party, Edward Guerra Kodatt, House Speaker, Mike Madigan

Madigan gives $2M to Illinois Democratic Party, its largest donation in history

09/28/2020

Undaunted by his implication in a bribery scandal, Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan within the past month transferred $3.25 million to the state party.

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, donation, Mike Madigan

Democratic state lawmakers demand ethics reform in wake of Madigan scandal

08/17/2020

Pressure continues to build to repair Illinois’ broken ethics laws, as more Democrats demand reform and more lawmakers face corruption charges.

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, ethics, federal investigation, lobbying, Mike Madigan

Illinois government unions give Madigan $10 million reasons to stay together

By Mailee Smith

08/13/2020

The state’s government unions have heavily funded the election committees run by longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan – who then uses his influence to pass union-friendly bills.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, corruption, Democratic Party, Mike Madigan, unions

53 more Illinois Democrats call for Madigan’s resignation

08/12/2020

Despite potential political repercussions, a growing list of Democrats are demanding Mike Madigan resign his leadership positions after he was implicated in a ComEd corruption scheme.

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, federal investigation, Mike Madigan, resignation

9 Democrats demand Madigan’s resignation as Illinois House speaker

08/06/2020

America’s longest-serving House speaker is facing mounting pressure from within his own party over corruption implications in the federal case against ComEd.

TAGS: ComEd, corruption, Democratic Party, Mike Madigan

Will County board to vote on 4-cent countywide gas tax following doubled Illinois tax

By Vincent Caruso

12/10/2019

Included in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s capital plan is increased taxing power for some county governments to create or raise countywide gas taxes. Will County could be the first to exercise that authority.

TAGS: capital plan, Democratic Party, excise tax, gas tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, infrastructure, JB Pritzker, Republicans, sales tax, Springfield, tax increase, transportation

Sexual harassment case against Madigan campaign ends with $275K settlement

By Brad Weisenstein

12/09/2019

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan settled a sexual harassment case involving his former political lieutenant, but the related corruption implications are far from over.

TAGS: #metoo, AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Alaina Hampton, ComEd, Democratic Party, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, federal lawsuit, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois House of Representatives, Kevin Quinn, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, Mike Madigan, sexual harrassment, Springfield, Tim Mapes

Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

America’s War on Poverty has been an abject failure. Nearly $12 trillion and 60 years later, official poverty rates remain basically unchanged. While the nation waged a well-intentioned assault on poverty, it inadvertently launched a far more sinister war: on dignity. While attempting to eradicate poverty, America created countless government welfare programs. In doing so,...

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Center for Poverty Solutions: How to better assess poverty in Chicago and America

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Valentina Marieyah Pacheco-Cornejo

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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