More states give parents control over education funds, so why not Illinois?

By Hannah Schmid

04/30/2024

There are 18 private school choice programs called “education savings accounts” in 16 states and growing. But Illinois leaders refuse to let parents decide how their taxes are used to educate their children.

TAGS: education spending

After 2 years, it’s time to limit Pritzker’s emergency powers

By Joe Tabor

03/09/2022

March 12 marks two years of life under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s emergency powers. It is time lawmakers had a say in how long those powers last.

TAGS: COVID-19, emergency powers, JB Pritzker

Suburban residents risk losing homes over rising pension costs

By Amy Korte

09/01/2021

Because the cost of generous government retirement packages has grown faster than existing government revenues can sustain, property taxes continue to climb.

TAGS: collar counties, Illinois, pensions, property taxes

It’s time Illinois legalized fireworks

By Austin Berg

06/29/2017

The Land of Lincoln is one of only six states to impose harsh restrictions on the sale and possession of fireworks.

TAGS: fireworks ban

Meet the mayor of the town that outsourced everything

08/19/2016

An Atlanta, Ga., suburb might be a model for saving taxpayers costs while providing high-quality services.

It’s time to end Illinois’ fireworks ban

By Austin Berg

06/30/2016

The Land of Lincoln is one of only seven states to impose harsh restrictions on the sale and possession of fireworks.

TAGS: fireworks ban, regulations

Illinois corruption watch: February 2016

03/07/2016

Illinoisans’ confidence in their state government is the lowest of residents of any state in the nation, and corruption stories from February 2016 don’t help.

States on the move: 401(k)-style pension reform in Georgia

By Benjamin VanMetre

11/13/2014

The Peach State has been keen to modernize their public pension system.

TAGS: 401(k), budget, Georgia, pensions, taxes

Georgia paves way for more charter schools

11/07/2012

Georgia parents spoke loudly last night. They want more school choice. By a margin of 58 percent to 42 percent, Georgia voters approved a new constitutional amendment, granting the governor, lieutenant governor and the state House speaker the authority to appoint a board that will be in charge of approving new charter schools in the...

Putting the “Laboratory of the States” to Work in Illinois

By Chris Andriesen

07/20/2009

“The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away.” So said Linus Pauling, the two-time Nobel Prize winner for chemistry. A lot of ideas have been suggested to solve Illinois’s budget shortfall, and it’s time to separate the good from the bad. According to the National...

Georgia

More states give parents control over education funds, so why not Illinois?

After 2 years, it’s time to limit Pritzker’s emergency powers

Suburban residents risk losing homes over rising pension costs

It’s time Illinois legalized fireworks

Meet the mayor of the town that outsourced everything

It’s time to end Illinois’ fireworks ban

Illinois corruption watch: February 2016

States on the move: 401(k)-style pension reform in Georgia

Georgia paves way for more charter schools

Putting the “Laboratory of the States” to Work in Illinois

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help 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