Top legal scholar: Lisa Madigan is wrong on local Right-to-Work

04/28/2015

Illinois’ attorney general claims local Right-to-Work ordinances violate federal labor laws. But she’s wrong: Federal law doesn’t preempt Illinois state law on this issue.

TAGS: labor, Lisa Madigan, right to work

Rauner’s plan B for pension reform: Amend the constitution

By Benjamin VanMetre

04/09/2015

While the state waits for the Supreme Court’s SB 1 ruling, Gov. Bruce Rauner and other lawmakers are working up a pitch to amend the state constitution.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner, pensions, Senate Bill 1

Fire safety: Carpentersville election exposes loophole allowing government-union board members

By Austin Berg

03/13/2015

Local-government employees are typically barred from serving in local elected office, given they’d be sitting on both sides of the bargaining table. But one group of public employees is exempt from this sensible safeguard: firefighters.

Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments in pension case

03/11/2015

Does the Illinois Constitution’s pension clause spell disaster for the state?

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, pensions

Is pension reform possible in Illinois?

03/10/2015

The plaintiffs in the SB 1 case are asking the court to do something extraordinary: to hold, in effect, that pension benefits should receive stronger protection than any other type of constitutional right.

TAGS: COLA: cost of living adjustment, Illinois Constitution, Illinois Supreme Court, IML: Illinois Municipal League, Kanerva v. Weem, Lisa Madigan, Senate Bill 1

Federal court declines to rule on whether pension clause protects Chicago health benefits

02/26/2015

Now Illinois state courts will decide whether it is constitutional to the city to reduce retiree health benefits.

TAGS: pensions

State of the state: 10 pension facts every Illinoisan should know

By Benjamin VanMetre

02/03/2015

How bad the pension crisis really is, and why getting politicians out of the retirement business is the only way to solve it.

TAGS: pensions

Illinois Supreme Court rejects briefs from pension-reform supporters

01/23/2015

Given the importance of pension reform in Illinois, many groups wanted to weigh in.

TAGS: Illinois Supreme Court, pensions

Pensions are contracts; nothing more, nothing less

By Benjamin VanMetre

01/22/2015

Illinois Policy Institute files amicus brief in SB 1 case

TAGS: ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois Constitution, Illinois Supreme Court, pensions, Senate Bill 1

The wrong idea at the wrong time: 6 things you need to know about SB 2758

By Robert Steere

12/02/2014

Senate Bill 2758 establishes a brand new governmental entity with a brand new governmental function: to establish and administer a “mostly mandatory” IRA retirement savings program for private-sector workers.

Constitution of Illinois

Top legal scholar: Lisa Madigan is wrong on local Right-to-Work

Rauner’s plan B for pension reform: Amend the constitution

Fire safety: Carpentersville election exposes loophole allowing government-union board members

Illinois Supreme Court hears arguments in pension case

Is pension reform possible in Illinois?

Federal court declines to rule on whether pension clause protects Chicago health benefits

State of the state: 10 pension facts every Illinoisan should know

Illinois Supreme Court rejects briefs from pension-reform supporters

Pensions are contracts; nothing more, nothing less

The wrong idea at the wrong time: 6 things you need to know about SB 2758

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

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