Introduction It pays to work for state government. Compensation costs for state workers make up roughly one third of Illinois’ state budget. How much state workers are paid is largely decided by contracts with government employee unions, specifically Council 31 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. Since 2003, two consecutive Illinois governors – now disgraced former...

Illinois’ Department of Children and Family Services, or DCFS, has had no shortage of controversy in the past few years – which makes the latest appointment such a mystery. DCFS has been under scrutiny in recent months for under-reporting record-high child death cases that involved DCFS’s prior involvement. A senate panel was called regarding the...