Illinois House speaker gets $40M sports complex for alma mater

By Lauren Zuar

11/26/2025

Backroom deals produced lots of pork in the state budget, including a $40-million sports complex at the Illinois House speaker’s alma mater.

TAGS: budget, taxes

Madigan’s corruption doesn’t deserve an oil portrait

By Lilly Rossi

11/06/2025

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s corruption conviction means capturing his likeness in a portrait would be tax dollars poorly spent, one lawmaker says.

TAGS: Mike Madigan

Lawmakers push DoorDash, Uber Eats delivery tax statewide for Chicago transit

By LyLena Estabine

10/17/2025

Lawmakers may approve a statewide delivery tax on Doordash and Uber Eats to fund Chicago transit, hitting all Illinoisans who shop online, even those who don’t use CTA, Metra or Pace.

Suburban Chicago house tax plan would choke lagging growth

By LyLena Estabine

07/31/2025

The Illinois Senate attempted to pass a “rescue package” for Chicago area mass transit that would punish suburban homeowners with a new real estate transfer tax. State leaders must instead focus on reforms to boost housing and economic growth.

How Illinois political insiders protected Madigan, rewarded themselves

By Dylan Sharkey

06/13/2025

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison but his allies now run the Illinois House and Illinois Democratic Party. The rules he created to run his machine still work for new operators.

TAGS: Mike Madigan

Scandal recap: Stacy Davis Gates’ leadership of Chicago Teachers Union

By Hannah Schmid

05/12/2025

Chicago Teachers Union members have reason to question the leadership of President Stacy Davis Gates heading into the May 16 union election. Her many scandals have driven down the union’s reputation.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Stacy Davis Gates

Illinois Federation of Teachers spends $46.1M on state politics

By Patrick Andriesen

03/19/2025

The Illinois Federation of Teachers spent $46.1 million on Illinois political committees since 2010. Campaign cash went to nearly three-quarters of sitting lawmakers in the Illinois General Assembly.

TAGS: IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

By Josh Bandoch, Larry Han

10/16/2024

Published Oct. 16, 2024 Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and...

Illinois government workers’ union dues being diverted to swing-state politics

By Mailee Smith

09/19/2024

Illinois government workers’ union dues fund Democratic Party campaign committees, which are now seeking to tip the presidential election outcome in swing states. That fails to align with at least 40% of members’ politics.

TAGS: SEIU: Service Employees International Union

Speaker Welch got union power into Illinois Constitution, now his workers use it against him

By Mailee Smith

06/03/2024

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch supported the so-called workers’ rights amendment but won’t recognize his own staff’s union. That union has now filed suit.

TAGS: Chris Welch

Emanuel Chris Welch

Illinois House speaker gets $40M sports complex for alma mater

Madigan’s corruption doesn’t deserve an oil portrait

Lawmakers push DoorDash, Uber Eats delivery tax statewide for Chicago transit

Suburban Chicago house tax plan would choke lagging growth

How Illinois political insiders protected Madigan, rewarded themselves

Scandal recap: Stacy Davis Gates’ leadership of Chicago Teachers Union

Illinois Federation of Teachers spends $46.1M on state politics

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

Illinois government workers’ union dues being diverted to swing-state politics

Speaker Welch got union power into Illinois Constitution, now his workers use it against him

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

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