Vallas: How to improve Chicago’s billion-dollar transit crisis

By Paul Vallas

10/15/2025

Chicago Transit Authority ridership is still below pre-pandemic levels. Crime and a budget shortfall make matters worse, but there are cost-effective ways to make it safer.

TAGS: CTA: Chicago Transit Authority

Tax Day: Here’s how your $4K in state income taxes is spent

By Lauren Zuar, FJ Hilgart

04/15/2025

Just over 5% of the average state income tax return supports economic development and public safety, while almost 28% goes to government worker pensions and benefits. Here’s a breakdown of how Illinois will spend your state income taxes.

TAGS: Tax Day

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

01/28/2025

Published Jan. 28, 2025 Illinois Policy Institute Center for Poverty Solutions, in partnership with the Archbridge Institute By Joshua Bandoch, Ph.D., head of policy, Illinois Policy Institute and Justin Callais, Ph.D., chief economist, Archbridge Institute EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A low-income person’s ability to move up in society is worse in Illinois than in any other Midwestern...

Vallas: Chicago Transit Authority is city’s 3rd budget crisis

By Paul Vallas

11/18/2024

Chicago faces financial meltdowns on three fronts: the city budget, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Transit Authority. The CTA faces a $577 million deficit, but it can be fixed.

TAGS: CTA: Chicago Transit Authority

Vallas: Chicago domestic shootings up 19% in 2023. Fix needed now.

By Paul Vallas

04/23/2024

In Chicago and Cook County, law enforcement leadership and the court systems are failing women, especially domestic violence victims. Black women are disproportionately impacted. Leadership is desperately needed where incompetence now rules.

TAGS: Chicago, crime

How does Illinois spend millions in cannabis cash?

By Dylan Sharkey

04/15/2024

In Illinois’ fifth year of recreational cannabis sales, it’s already made nearly $180 million in tax revenue. But it is losing sales to neighboring states with lower taxes.

Carjacking outside Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mansion thwarted by stick-shift car

By Dylan Sharkey

01/18/2024

A Chicagoan was carjacked just outside Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Chicago mansion. Chicago carjackings have more than doubled since 2019, with the attackers rarely caught.

Lawyers, guns, money, plus 9 other Illinois laws to know starting Jan. 1

By Patrick Andriesen

12/28/2023

There are over 150 new laws going into effect in 2024, but here are a dozen likely to affect your life. They might impact the cost of a burger, your gun ownership, where you can vape and who your local police officer is and what that officer can do.

Full text of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State speech

02/15/2023

Here’s what Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker had to say about how Illinois is faring and what his priorities will be in the fiscal year 2024 budget.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Experts: highway camera bills on Pritzker’s desk ripe for abuse

By Patrick Andriesen

04/27/2022

Two bills on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk would spend $20 million to add license plate monitoring cameras to 6,600 miles of highways in 22 counties. Civil rights groups fret about abuse. Illinois State Police can’t say they increase safety.

TAGS: Illinois, interstate highway, speed cameras

Illinois State Police

Vallas: How to improve Chicago’s billion-dollar transit crisis

Tax Day: Here’s how your $4K in state income taxes is spent

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

Vallas: Chicago Transit Authority is city’s 3rd budget crisis

Vallas: Chicago domestic shootings up 19% in 2023. Fix needed now.

How does Illinois spend millions in cannabis cash?

Carjacking outside Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s mansion thwarted by stick-shift car

Lawyers, guns, money, plus 9 other Illinois laws to know starting Jan. 1

Full text of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s State of the State speech

Experts: highway camera bills on Pritzker’s desk ripe for abuse

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

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