Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

By Patrick Andriesen

05/28/2026

Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...

What Pritzker’s housing plan gets right and wrong

By Ravi Mishra

05/11/2026

The state should follow others by passing reforms that would make building housing easier and cheaper.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Under Pritzker, Illinois near the bottom in job growth

By Josh Bandoch

05/06/2026

The state created only 54,000 jobs in seven years.

Proposed amendment does nothing to curb gerrymandering in Illinois

By Joe Tabor

04/29/2026

If state House Democrats were serious about protecting our votes, they would require competitive elections and remove politicians from the process.

Massachusetts ‘millionaires tax’ cost the state $4 billion in departing income

By Bryce Hill

04/22/2026

The vast majority of that loss came from high-income earners leaving the state.

A recession would quickly sink Illinois’ unemployment insurance fund

By LyLena Estabine

03/24/2026

State unemployment insurance could withstand less than three months in an economic downturn. The taxes that support the fund are among the highest in the country.

Idaho giving students access to federal scholarships; Illinois should join

By Benjamin Hines, Lilly Rossi

02/24/2026

The Idaho Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of school choice tax credits. Yet Illinois continues to lag the nation with no form of school choice.

TAGS: scholarships, school choice

Atlas Van Lines: Illinois exodus continues, but slows in 2025

By Patrick Andriesen

12/16/2025

More people still moved out of Illinois than moved in during 2025, but the gap was smaller than it’s been for the past 16 years, according to Atlas Van Lines.

Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

By Josh Bandoch, Lauren Zuar

06/03/2025

Published June 3, 2025 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The best path to empowerment and success, especially for poor people, is work. Work allows us to prosper while providing dignity, upward mobility, the means to support ourselves and create value for others. It’s how we become thriving members of our community. Central to this process is our education...

Illinois lawmakers get 26 seconds per page to read 2025 budget

By Patrick Andriesen

05/20/2025

Illinois state lawmakers must be super speed readers, because who would vote on something they hadn’t read? They were given an average of 67 seconds per page to read the past nine state budgets, but last year received only 26 seconds per page.

Idaho

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

What Pritzker’s housing plan gets right and wrong

Under Pritzker, Illinois near the bottom in job growth

Proposed amendment does nothing to curb gerrymandering in Illinois

Massachusetts ‘millionaires tax’ cost the state $4 billion in departing income

A recession would quickly sink Illinois’ unemployment insurance fund

Idaho giving students access to federal scholarships; Illinois should join

Atlas Van Lines: Illinois exodus continues, but slows in 2025

Beyond degrees: Empowering Illinoisans through career-first education

Illinois lawmakers get 26 seconds per page to read 2025 budget

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

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