• 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

4.7 million Illinoisans had no choice for state representative

By Dylan Sharkey
11/16/2021
Democracy depends on giving voters choices, but in Illinois nearly half the seats in the state legislature are filled without giving voters more than one name. A choice of one is no choice.

TAGS: fair maps, gerrymandering, Illinois, redistricting

Illinois’ ‘extreme’ risk of gerrymandering becomes reality through congressional map

By Robert Brutvan
10/16/2021
The Illinois congressional map proposal released by Democrats has districts that are far from compact, snaking to catch and avoid populations. Republicans label it the ‘Nancy Pelosi Protection Plan.’

TAGS: gerrymandering, Illinois, legislative map, redistricting

Illinois loses 1 seat in Congress, but Republicans may lose 2

By Patrick Andriesen
05/19/2021
A proposed map for new U.S. House districts in Illinois has been making the rounds in Springfield. Republicans stand to lose a lot.

TAGS: Illinois, legislative district, legislative map, redistricting, U.S. Congress

Political maps get 23 public hearings in April across Illinois

By Patrick Andriesen
03/15/2021
Illinois House members scheduled public hearings before they try to redraw the maps showing who serves what area in Congress and the Statehouse. How they can legally create a map in June when Census data will not be out until September remains a question.

TAGS: fair maps, JB Pritzker, legislative district, redistricting

Illinois police serve search warrant at Madigan’s Springfield office, looking for evidence of sexual assault, battery by former state lawmaker

By Austin Berg
02/01/2020
State police executed the search warrant in an attempt to find evidence of criminal behavior by former Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks.

TAGS: corruption, fair maps, fair tax, graduated income tax, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois House of Representatives, illinois state police, independent maps, investigation, Jack Franks, JB Pritzker, legislative map, Mike Madigan, progressive income tax, redistricting, rules committee, search warrant, sexual harrassment, Springfield, State of the State

‘Fair tax’ backer pleads guilty to tax fraud

By Vincent Caruso
01/28/2020
Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval once headed the powerful Senate Transportation Committee. He now faces up to 13 years in prison on corruption charges involving a controversial red-light camera company.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, fraud, graduated income tax, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, Springfield, tax fraud, Tom Cullerton

Feds indict champion of Illinois gas tax hike, ‘fair tax’ on tax fraud and bribery

By Vincent Caruso
01/27/2020
The former chair of the influential Senate Transportation Committee is the fourth Illinois politician indicted on federal charges amid a sweeping FBI probe.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal, federal government, federal investigation, fraud, gas tax, graduated income tax, graduation rate, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Legislative Inspector General, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Mike Madigan, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, SafeSpeed, Senate Transportation Committee, Smart Scale, Springfield, tax fraud, transparency, waste, watchdog

Madigan celebrates 35th anniversary as Illinois House speaker

By Austin Berg
01/12/2020
Illinoisans will soon cast a vote on the biggest ballot question in the history of Madigan’s record-breaking speakership.

TAGS: credit rating, Daley, debt, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, graduated income tax, house rules, House Speaker, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, legislative map, lobbying, Mike Madigan, patronage, progressive income tax, property taxes, redistricting, Richard Daley, Springfield, tax burden, U.S. Census Bureau

Madigan confidant used state worker’s silence on rape to prove political loyalty

By Brad Weisenstein
01/08/2020
Silence on a rape and about ghost workers were evidence of political loyalty that should save a state worker facing discipline, according to an email uncovered in an open records request.

TAGS: conflict of interest, ethics, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, lobbying, Michael McClain, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, Pat Quinn, redistricting, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, sexual harrassment, Smart Scale, Springfield, Virginia, watchdog

Feds investigating former Cook County assessor, Madigan rainmaker Joe Berrios

By Austin Berg
12/17/2019
The probe potentially opens up a new front in authorities’ investigation of House Speaker Mike Madigan: the property tax appeals game from which he has made millions.

TAGS: capital project, Chicago, conflict of interest, Cook County, Cook County assessor, Cook County Democratic Party, corruption, Ed Burke, federal investigation, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, JB Pritzker, Joseph Berrios, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, Madigan & Getzendanner, Mike Madigan, property taxes, redistricting, revolving door, Rod Blagojevich, Springfield

Load More
Budget + Tax / Research Report

Illinois Forward 2024: A sustainable state budget plan


After years of enhanced revenue from federal aid, a return to the basic principles of budgeting can put Illinois on the path to long-term financial stability

View Report

Report Archive

Education / Your Story

John Jacob

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: |