Illinois special interests seize power through low voter turnout

08/22/2022

Illinois mandates off-year municipal elections, but they result in lower voter turnout that gives powerful special interest groups more influence and diminishes local voters’ concerns.

TAGS: municipal government, voter suppression, voting

Want to fix Illinois’ voter suppression? Then give voters choices.

By Brad Weisenstein

05/16/2022

Voter suppression is an art in Illinois, where decades of rules to give incumbents or favored-party candidates an easy ride to reelection deny voters choices in about half of Illinois House races. Illinois Policy is trying to change that by increasing the choices that bring out voters.

TAGS: elections, Illinois, voter suppression

Illinois voter suppression rampant thanks to few ballot choices

By Ann Miller, Patrick Andriesen

05/11/2022

Progressive voices decry voter suppression in states such as Texas, but the very blue state of Illinois is guilty of rampant voter suppression using a system of maps and rules that defeat many challengers before they ever get on the ballot. A new effort is working to change that.

TAGS: ballot, gerrymandering, Illinois, legislative map, voter suppression

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...

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Fixing Illinois pension crisis by amending nation’s most-restrictive pension law is legal, effective

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Linda Ekendahl

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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