The former president of the Illinois Senate is now a lobbyist for a power utility. Illinois needs stronger rules on when their peers can return to sway state lawmakers.
Chicago City Council votes to ban lobbying by elected leaders
Chicago’s second round of anti-corruption rules restricts aldermen and city employees from working as lobbyists and stops other elected leaders from lobbying city government for private clients.
Sandoval resigns Senate seat amid federal corruption probe, effective Jan. 1
The once-powerful state officeholder previously resigned as chairman of the influential Illinois Senate Transportation Committee in October.
Senate President John Cullerton set to collect $2M pension
Due to a pension sweetener available only to veteran Illinois lawmakers, Cullerton’s annual pension will soon be more than he ever made from his Statehouse salary.
Senate President John Cullerton announces retirement amid sweeping Illinois corruption probe
Cullerton and House Speaker Mike Madigan have held office in the Illinois General Assembly for nearly 90 years combined.
Illinois Senate president backs bill merging police, fire pension funds
Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is championing a bill to merge more than 640 local police and fire pension funds into two investment pools. With lawmakers returning to Springfield for veto session, action on the bill may be near.
Architect of Illinois gas tax hike resigns committee chairmanship amid federal probe
State Sen. Martin Sandoval has resigned as chairman of the powerful Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, weeks after federal authorities raided Sandoval’s home and offices as part of an ongoing corruption probe.
Was corruption at the heart of Illinois’ gas tax hike?
The target, state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, is as clouted as they come.
Illinois state lawmakers introduce, pass $85 billion in spending in 12 hours
A new governor and Democratic supermajorities have retained the same chaotic budgeting process that has brought the state’s credit rating to near-junk status.
DuPage County voters brake hard on per-mile driving tax
Voters in DuPage County strongly oppose a per-mile driving tax – a measure Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker has floated in the past.