How to file a Freedom of Information Act request in Illinois

07/29/2021

Watching government and how taxes are spent isn’t always a simple process, but a useful tool helps obtain records to see the inner workings of schools, cities and state agencies: the Illinois Freedom of Information Act

TAGS: FOIA: Freedom of Information Act

Thousands of Illinoisans await calls from state unemployment agency

By Brad Weisenstein, Patrick Andriesen

05/07/2021

The Illinois Department of Employment Security had a backlog of 156K calls in February. Now, over a year into the pandemic, its offices remain closed to the public and 43K Illinoisans are still awaiting a call from IDES.

TAGS: COVID-19, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, Illinois, JB Pritzker

Police union contracts hinder discipline in Illinois’ biggest cities

By Mailee Smith

04/21/2021

Both police reform advocates and law enforcement supporters face the same serious obstacle in Illinois: police union contracts include provisions protecting officers from discipline. Those contracts carry more weight than state law.

Bill fights Illinois corruption with online access to government spending, records

By Justin Carlson

04/19/2021

Putting the public’s business on public display can help Illinois reform its culture of corruption and control government waste. An Illinois House bill will put more local government records online.

TAGS: corruption, government spending, Illinois, local government, transparency

Illinois Forward 2022: COVID-19 makes pension reform imperative to protecting taxpayers, services for vulnerable Illinoisans

By Adam Schuster

03/17/2021

Illinois has a chance to fix its state finances, thanks to federal relief. But unless pension growth is brought under control, both retirees and taxpayers will be at risk as debt continues to consume state services.

Full text: Mike Madigan’s resignation statement

02/18/2021

Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan is resigning as a state representative after 50 years in office.

TAGS: corruption, Mike Madigan, resignation

Illinois taxpayers charged $1.8M for misleading ‘fair tax’ amendment pamphlet

By Brad Weisenstein

10/16/2020

The blue pamphlets sent to Illinois voters were mandated by law, but the constitutional amendment explanation inside included misleading language in its favor.

TAGS: ballot referendums, election, fair tax, JB Pritzker

Illinois government unions give Madigan $10 million reasons to stay together

By Mailee Smith

08/13/2020

The state’s government unions have heavily funded the election committees run by longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan – who then uses his influence to pass union-friendly bills.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, corruption, Democratic Party, Mike Madigan, unions

Illinois unemployment data breach leads to ID theft, class-action lawsuit claims

06/18/2020

The contractor who revamped Illinois’ unemployment system to handle self-employed workers is being sued. One of the nearly 32,500 applicants who had private information exposed said it was used to access her bank account.

TAGS: identity theft, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, JB Pritzker, unemployment

State agency published private data of nearly 32,500 unemployed Illinoisans

05/21/2020

Just as Illinois opened its unemployment system to self-employed workers, the new system exposed Social Security numbers and other private information of 32,483 applicants, according to a Freedom of Information Act response.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security

Freedom of Information Act

How to file a Freedom of Information Act request in Illinois

Thousands of Illinoisans await calls from state unemployment agency

Police union contracts hinder discipline in Illinois’ biggest cities

Bill fights Illinois corruption with online access to government spending, records

Illinois Forward 2022: COVID-19 makes pension reform imperative to protecting taxpayers, services for vulnerable Illinoisans

Full text: Mike Madigan’s resignation statement

Illinois taxpayers charged $1.8M for misleading ‘fair tax’ amendment pamphlet

Illinois government unions give Madigan $10 million reasons to stay together

Illinois unemployment data breach leads to ID theft, class-action lawsuit claims

State agency published private data of nearly 32,500 unemployed Illinoisans

Solutions for vacant lots would reduce crime and poverty in Chicago

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