• Our Story
  • Your Story
  • Policy Research
  • Take Action
Donate

Illinois’
comeback
story
starts here.

  • Home

  • Our Story

    • Leadership
    • Staff
    • Senior Fellows
    • Jobs
    • Annual Reports
  • Your story

  • Take action

    • Lawmakers
    • Contact Your Rep
    • Join The Fight
  • Policy research

    • Budget + Tax
    • Criminal Justice
    • Good Government
    • Jobs + Growth
    • Labor
    • Pensions
  • Reports

  • Cartoons

  • Press Releases

  • Policy Shop

  • FAQs

  • Contact

  • Newsletter signup

  • Search

  • Donate

    • Illinois Policy Institute
  • Privacy Policy

Illinois government unions kill chances for more school money, nurse prospects, police reforms

By Joe Tabor
07/07/2021
Unions put up roadblocks for bills that could have freed up more money for Illinois classrooms, expanded opportunities for Illinois health care workers and ensured police officers are subject to better accountability under state law.

TAGS: Nurse Licensure Compact, police misconduct, school district efficiency, unions

Illinois law lets police union contracts overpower state law

By Mailee Smith
03/19/2021
If the Illinois General Assembly wants to see true police reforms, it must first change the state law that gives police union contracts more power than public laws and regulations. Without that change, reforms become empty intentions.

TAGS: collective bargaining, police misconduct, police union

Illinois lawmakers hand Pritzker another tax loss, pass Chicago pension hike

01/19/2021
Lame duck session was busy even when House Democrats weren’t focused on replacing Mike Madigan as speaker. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s small business tax hike died as 23 bills were passed, including one making Chicago’s pension woes worse.

TAGS: firefighter pensions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, lame duck session, police misconduct, unions

DuPage County voters will decide ballot question on defunding police

By Joe Tabor
09/15/2020
Amid nationwide calls to defund the police, voters in DuPage County can make their voices heard by voting on two advisory referendums.

TAGS: DuPage County, police brutality, police misconduct

To reform policing, Illinois must rehabilitate its errant labor laws

By Vincent Caruso
07/28/2020
A police union contract that protects deviant officers while muzzling those who wish to serve honorably is one set up to fail the public.

TAGS: government unions, Lori Lightfoot, police brutality, police misconduct

Illinois Supreme Court denies Chicago police union request to destroy misconduct records

By Mailee Smith
06/19/2020
While Illinois law explicitly states union contracts trump all other state laws, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled a police contract allowing the destruction of disciplinarily records defies public policy and cannot be enforced.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department, Illinois Supreme Court, police misconduct, police union

In the wake of George Floyd’s death, Springfield has essential work to do

By Austin Berg
06/05/2020
Illinois lawmakers cannot afford to delay action in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

TAGS: BLM: Black Lives Matter, criminal justice reform, Curtis Tarver, Don Harmon, George Floyd, JB Pritzker, Justin Slaughter, Kam Buckner, labor, Lamont Robinson, Maurice West, Mike Madigan, police, police misconduct

Jury awards record $44.7M in Chicago police misconduct case

By Brendan Bakala
10/30/2017
This latest amount broke the previous city payout record of $25 million for a wrongful conviction suit in 2012.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department, criminal justice reform, police misconduct

Chicago Police Department audit reveals millions lost in overtime abuse and waste

By Brendan Bakala
10/04/2017
The city’s police department has gone over budget for overtime every year for the past six years, costing Chicago taxpayers $575 million in spending for overtime pay.

TAGS: Chicago, CPD: Chicago Police Department, criminal justice reform, police, police misconduct

Cost of police misconduct highlights need for risk management

By Bryant Jackson-Green
07/16/2016
The city of Chicago paid over $146 million in police misconduct and public safety claims in 2013 and 2014, according to the city inspector general’s report.

TAGS: Chicago, CPD: Chicago Police Department, criminal justice reform, Laquan McDonald, police, police body cameras, police misconduct, Rahm Emanuel

Load More
Pensions / Research Report

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...

View Report

Report Archive

Jobs + Growth / Your Story

Cathy Stuehmeier

Labor / Policy Point

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014
Illinois Policy In the News

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016

Chicago Office | Illinois Policy
300 S. Riverside Plaza | 1650 |
Chicago, IL 60606
t 312.346.5700  f 312.896.2500

Springfield Office | Illinois Policy
802 South 2nd Street |
Springfield, IL 62704
t 217.528.8800  f 312.212.5277  
e info@illinoispolicy.org

Copyright © 2023 Illinois Policy |
Illinois' comeback story starts here

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

results for
Sort by: |