Chicago City Council records reveal severe shortage of serious legislation

By Chris Lentino

08/22/2017

Substantive ordinances make up less than 2 percent of all legislation considered by the current City Council over the past two years.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, Rahm Emanuel

80% of Cook County municipalities have opted out of minimum wage, sick leave ordinances

By Amy Korte, Marianna Schmiesing

07/31/2017

The number of Cook County municipalities that have opted out of both ordinances has climbed to 107.

TAGS: Cook County, jobs, minimum wage

Rahm denies Cubs night game request, continues long-standing city feud

07/28/2017

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has emphatically denied the Cubs’ request for more night games at Wrigley Field – continuing the decades-old hostile relationship between the team and city government.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago Cubs, Rahm Emanuel, regulations

More than 50 municipalities have opted out of Cook County’s minimum wage hike, sick days mandate

By Amy Korte

06/26/2017

Municipal leaders have expressed concerns about the anti-competitive, job-killing effects of Cook County’s minimum wage increases and new sick leave law and are using home rule authority to exempt their communities from the requirements.

TAGS: Cook County, jobs, minimum wage, unemployment

Lawmaker sponsors Airline Passenger Protection Act in wake of United Airlines incident

By Eric Kohn

04/19/2017

The legislation would prohibit airlines from “involuntarily removing” seated passengers, and the state from doing business with airlines that do.

TAGS: Chicago, regulations, United Airlines

Madigan has spent nearly $170,000 in campaign funds on baseball tickets in 2017

04/19/2017

Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan reportedly uses his large quantity of Cubs and White Sox tickets as gifts for his political volunteers, but his history with professional sports teams in Chicago isn’t so generous.

TAGS: Chicago Cubs, Mike Madigan

Illinois politicians dub March 8 ‘Cubs Day’ despite contentious history

03/09/2017

Springfield lawmakers passed a ceremonial resolution March 8 congratulating the Chicago Cubs on winning the 2016 World Series. But that pat on the back doesn’t make up for the adversarial relationship politicians have held with the Cubs and other professional sports franchises in Chicago.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago Cubs, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Mike Madigan, regulations

Rauner memo: Use TIF funds to save Chicago Public Schools

By Chris Lentino

03/06/2017

Gov. Bruce Rauner has suggested funding CPS with tax increment financing, or TIF, funds; this would temporarily bail out the district, but more needs to be done to address serious concerns about Chicago’s TIF program.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, budget, Christine Radogno, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education, grand bargain, Illinois Senate, John Cullerton, TIF: Tax Increment Financing

Chicago officials announce $325K in TIF spending … on batting cages

By Chris Lentino

02/23/2017

The city’s latest taxpayer-funded development project reinforces the need to eliminate tax increment financing in favor of honest and transparent city budgeting.

TAGS: Chicago, TIF: Tax Increment Financing

Tax increment financing: A primer

By Chris Lentino

02/21/2017

Local governments create TIF districts to encourage development in “blighted” areas; but TIFs often don’t deliver on promised economic benefits, while they do divert tax dollars from other uses and create opaque slush funds for the mayor to reward insider developers.

TAGS: Chicago, property taxes, taxes, TIF: Tax Increment Financing

Chicago City Council

Chicago City Council records reveal severe shortage of serious legislation

80% of Cook County municipalities have opted out of minimum wage, sick leave ordinances

Rahm denies Cubs night game request, continues long-standing city feud

More than 50 municipalities have opted out of Cook County’s minimum wage hike, sick days mandate

Lawmaker sponsors Airline Passenger Protection Act in wake of United Airlines incident

Madigan has spent nearly $170,000 in campaign funds on baseball tickets in 2017

Illinois politicians dub March 8 ‘Cubs Day’ despite contentious history

Rauner memo: Use TIF funds to save Chicago Public Schools

Chicago officials announce $325K in TIF spending … on batting cages

Tax increment financing: A primer

What is the Education Freedom Tax Credit and how can it benefit Illinois students?

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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