CPS’ postponed bond sale poses questions for Chicago and Emanuel

02/02/2016

Amid CPS’ postponed $875 million bond sale, Chicagoans should question whether the district can fill its budget hole and whether Emanuel will stand up for Chicago taxpayers or give in to more teachers union demands.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Illinois’ fiscal problems drive away GE, spur talk of bankruptcy, pension reform

01/26/2016

The state must get its financial affairs in order by allowing municipal bankruptcy and enacting real pension reforms.

TAGS: bankruptcy

Illinois became less competitive after Blagojevich’s 2005 workers’ compensation bill

By Michael Lucci

01/19/2016

This blog is the fifth part of a series that explores Illinois’ workers’ compensation system, the state’s inadequate reforms, and opportunities policymakers should seize now to make the system less costly and more effective for employers and workers alike.

TAGS: workers compensation

Illinois to issue $500M in bonds, continues to pay highest borrowing rate of all 50 states

By Ted Dabrowski

01/09/2016

Illinois’ monthslong budget gridlock, $111 billion in government-worker pension debt, and more than a decade of unbalanced budgets have resulted in credit downgrades for Illinois and the highest borrowing costs of any state in the nation.

TAGS: budget

Despite massive stock-market rally, Illinois’ pension liabilities go up and up and up

01/05/2016

The fiscal crises caused by the state’s government-worker pension liabilities.

2011 workers’ compensation reform

By Mark Adams

01/02/2016

Part 3 of Illinois’ broken workers’ compensation system: the major components of the 2011 reform

TAGS: workers compensation

3 important criminal-justice reforms from 2015

By Bryant Jackson-Green

12/31/2015

In 2015, Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law bills restricting the transfer of juvenile offenders to adult court, establishing rules for the use of body cameras by police, and creating an expedited process in Cook County to resolve cases involving certain low-level offenses.

TAGS: juvenile court, police body cameras

“Home Alone”: How one extreme Illinois case led to overbroad laws about child supervision

By Jeffrey Schwab

12/23/2015

Illinois’ real-life “Home Alone” story inspired legislation that gives the state too much power to intrude into parents’ reasonable decisions about their children.

TAGS: DCFS: Department of Children and Family Services

Retirement-tax resolution

By Heather Weiner

12/17/2015

Thirty-nine Illinois state representatives have signed on to a resolution stating their opposition to the imposition of a state tax on retirement income as revenue plans circulate ahead of state budget negotiations in 2016.

TAGS: income tax

A worker’s right to choose

By Austin Berg

12/14/2015

Hundreds of thousands of Illinois workers are forced to pay union dues to keep their jobs. But close by, worker freedom reigns.

TAGS: right to work

Illinois General Assembly

CPS’ postponed bond sale poses questions for Chicago and Emanuel

Illinois’ fiscal problems drive away GE, spur talk of bankruptcy, pension reform

Illinois became less competitive after Blagojevich’s 2005 workers’ compensation bill

Illinois to issue $500M in bonds, continues to pay highest borrowing rate of all 50 states

Despite massive stock-market rally, Illinois’ pension liabilities go up and up and up

2011 workers’ compensation reform

3 important criminal-justice reforms from 2015

“Home Alone”: How one extreme Illinois case led to overbroad laws about child supervision

Retirement-tax resolution

A worker’s right to choose

4 ways to break out of Illinois’ pension trap

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