Harvey declaring financial distress under $164M debt

By LyLena Estabine

10/21/2025

Harvey is seeking state aid under Illinois’ Financially Distressed City Law, but without pension reform, state oversight offers little hope to fix its $164M crisis.

Illinois checks, balances? Not under Pritzker

By Lilly Rossi

10/13/2025

As veto session begins and power goes back to the Democratic majority state legislature, the consequences of a single-party state are more evident than ever.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Illinois taxpayers each owe $38,800 for state’s unpaid bills

By Patrick Andriesen

10/03/2025

Illinois taxpayers in 2024 owed an average of $38,800 each, ranking No. 3 in the U.S. Illinois earned an “F” for fiscal management.

Chicago pensions carry more debt than 44 states

By LyLena Estabine

09/09/2025

Chicago’s pension systems carry over $53 billion in debt, leaving taxpayers with rising bills and no reform in sight.

Illinois pensioners earn nearly $25K more retired than those working to support them

By Patrick Andriesen

06/26/2025

The average retired career state employee in Illinois was paid $93,558 in pension benefits last year. That’s $24,538 more than the average Illinoisan working to pay for those retirees.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, pensions, taxes

Gerrymandering: Madigan’s legacy of letting politicians choose their voters

By Patrick Andriesen

06/13/2025

Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s sentencing to 7.5 years for bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud ends his active role in Illinois politics. But his legacy of gerrymandering will continue to shape Illinois politics long after he’s behind bars.

TAGS: Mike Madigan

Lawmakers just passed 2 bills making Illinois even worse for business

By Joe Tabor

06/12/2025

This legislative session members of the Illinois General Assembly passed a bill to make it easier to sue out-of-state businesses and a bill that would prevent state agencies from adopting eased workplace regulations. Illinois’ business climate is bad, but these bills could make it worse.

Lawmakers should look outside of Springfield when choosing a fiscal watchdog

By Joe Tabor

05/29/2025

Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino is retiring after a 10-year term of monitoring public spending. The scrutiny his own campaign spending drew should have lawmakers rethink how they choose his replacement.

Illinois’ opaque budget process drives mismanagement, harms taxpayers

By Lauren Zuar

05/23/2025

Despite Illinois law setting clear budget rules, lawmakers routinely fast-track last-minute, backroom deals, keeping voters and other legislators in the dark.

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.

Illinois Supreme Court

Harvey declaring financial distress under $164M debt

Illinois checks, balances? Not under Pritzker

Illinois taxpayers each owe $38,800 for state’s unpaid bills

Chicago pensions carry more debt than 44 states

Illinois pensioners earn nearly $25K more retired than those working to support them

Gerrymandering: Madigan’s legacy of letting politicians choose their voters

Lawmakers just passed 2 bills making Illinois even worse for business

Lawmakers should look outside of Springfield when choosing a fiscal watchdog

Illinois’ opaque budget process drives mismanagement, harms taxpayers

Illinois lawmakers get 26 seconds per page to read 2025 budget

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