Cook, Madison, St. Clair counties rank among nation’s top ‘judicial hellholes’

By Brad Weisenstein

12/11/2020

A trio of Illinois counties are known for being plaintiff friendly, especially for asbestos and no-injury biometric screening cases. COVID-19 liability is expected to fill future court dockets.

TAGS: BIPA: Biometric Information Privacy Act, corruption

Madigan’s legacy of corruption will survive his downfall, unless …

By Joe Tabor

11/19/2020

After decades under Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s rule, Illinois is corroding from his concentration of power. Robust ethics laws, rules and norms could stop a new Madigan from rising.

TAGS: ComEd, corruption, house, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, madigan, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, reform, speaker

Kilbride is first Illinois Supreme Court justice to lose retention vote

By Joe Tabor

11/04/2020

After receiving $550,000 from Madigan’s Democratic Party of Illinois campaign committee, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride lost his bid to continue on the court. He is the first justice voters failed to retain.

TAGS: election, Illinois Supreme Court, Mike Madigan, Thomas Kilbride

Kilbride takes $550K from Madigan despite vowing not to accept ‘one penny’ from speaker’s committees

By Joe Tabor

10/23/2020

The Democratic Party of Illinois campaign committee, chaired by House Speaker Mike Madigan, recently contributed to Illinois Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride’s retention campaign. Kilbride had sworn he would take no Madigan money.

TAGS: corruption, Illinois Supreme Court, Mike Madigan, Thomas Kilbride

Michigan Supreme Court rules against emergency powers similar to Pritzker’s

By Joe Tabor

10/02/2020

The Michigan Supreme Court concluded that Gov. Gretchen Whitmer could not legally extend her emergency executive orders without the approval of the legislature, while declaring another source of her authority unconstitutional altogether.

TAGS: coronavirus, COVID-19, executive order, Gretchen Whitmer, JB Pritzker

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

By Adam Schuster

09/03/2020

Illinois’ pension crisis has been a growing problem for decades, and its negative effects on state residents are well documented.1 Economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and related government shutdown orders threaten to bring that long-running crisis closer to its breaking point. The state’s five pension systems collectively held nearly $139 billion of debt at...

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

By Adam Schuster

08/26/2020

Decades of institutionalized financial mismanagement left Illinois with the nation’s worst fiscal health. Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has been at the center of nearly every bad decision along the way.

How Illinois’ collective bargaining rules protect police misconduct

By Mailee Smith

07/14/2020

Illinois Supreme Court denies Chicago police union request to destroy misconduct records

By Mailee Smith

06/19/2020

While Illinois law explicitly states union contracts trump all other state laws, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled a police contract allowing the destruction of disciplinarily records defies public policy and cannot be enforced.

TAGS: CPD: Chicago Police Department, Illinois Supreme Court, police misconduct, police union

Why Illinois state lawmakers are still in line for an $1,800 pay raise

By Austin Berg

05/28/2020

Illinois lawmakers are still likely to receive a $1,800 pay raise. But some have tried their best to make no waves by giving themselves cover from backlash.

TAGS: lawmaker pay

Illinois Supreme Court

Cook, Madison, St. Clair counties rank among nation’s top ‘judicial hellholes’

Madigan’s legacy of corruption will survive his downfall, unless …

Kilbride is first Illinois Supreme Court justice to lose retention vote

Kilbride takes $550K from Madigan despite vowing not to accept ‘one penny’ from speaker’s committees

Michigan Supreme Court rules against emergency powers similar to Pritzker’s

Pension apocalypse? COVID-19 exposes long-running fragility of Illinois public pensions

Madigan’s fiscal legacy: How the longest-serving state House speaker built Illinois’ mountain of debt

How Illinois’ collective bargaining rules protect police misconduct

Illinois Supreme Court denies Chicago police union request to destroy misconduct records

Why Illinois state lawmakers are still in line for an $1,800 pay raise

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