Since 1994, members of The People’s Map — which sued to keep a legislative map reform amendment off Illinois’ November ballot — and their employers have given over $6.6 million to Friends of Michael J. Madigan, the Democratic Majority and the Democratic Party of Illinois, which House Speaker Mike Madigan chairs.
Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...