Illinois can draw from other states’ experiences to solve its own gerrymandering problem. One solid solution is as close as Michigan.

Permanent vote by mail allows Illinoisans to vote at home, offering convenience and a chance to make better-informed decisions. Voters automatically receive a ballot for each future election, so illness or forgetfulness aren’t barriers to civic duty.

Illinois state senators approved a new legislative inspector general over complaints by the Legislative Ethics Commission chair that the process and vetting were ignored for the new watchdog. House members vote next.

Most Illinois government meetings are open to the public, with a few exceptions. Here’s what to know about Illinoisans’ rights to see what government is doing by using the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Illinois made an important first step in its break with the corrupt practices that defined the legislative process under former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan. New ethics rules about lobbying, financial disclosures and the legislative watchdog were passed in the final hours of the session.

When a child’s lemonade stand was targeted by government regulators, the 11-year-old entrepreneur fought back. Now Illinois is about to bar government from interfering with a child’s right to sell cold summer drinks.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave fellow Democrats a very clear signal to gerrymander state legislative maps when he backed off his veto threat and said he trusted them to be fair. Mike Madigan-style maps place 23 Republicans into races against other incumbents.