Democratic Party

AFSCME blurs the lines between ‘representational’ and ‘political’ spending, to the detriment of fair share payers

By Mailee Smith
04/05/2017
Government workers in Illinois can opt out of union membership, but they still have to pay fees to the union. Those fees are not supposed to go toward political activities, but a close look at AFSCME’s most recent union report demonstrates how unions use fair share fees for activities most people would consider “political.”

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, fair share

Why are Illinois Democrats preparing to bail out bankers and cash-strapped local governments?

By Michael Lucci
04/03/2017
Bailout bills moving in the Illinois General Assembly would attempt to turn Illinois’ massive debt problems into guaranteed profits for banks and bondholders and a lower standard of living for other Illinoisans.

TAGS: bonds, budget, CTA: Chicago Transit Authority, general obligation bonds, grand bargain, John Cullerton, LGDF: Local Government Distributive Fund, property taxes, RTA: Regional Transportation Authority

Illinois lawmaker files legislation allowing delay of legislator pay after court ruling says politicians must be paid

03/23/2017
State Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorne Woods, filed legislation March 23 that would give the Illinois Comptroller’s office discretion to delay payments to lawmakers if insufficient funding exists to do so. This came just hours after a Cook County judge said lawmakers must be paid.

TAGS: budget, Chris Welch, Dan McConchie, Illinois Comptroller, John Cullerton, Kate Cloonen, lawmaker pay, Lisa Hernandez, Mary Flowers, Mike Madigan, Pat Quinn, Silvana Tabares, Susana Mendoza

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FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016