Fifty-six percent of Illinoisans support amending the Illinois Constitution to reform the state’s public pension systems. Illinois has the nation’s least-funded pension plans.
Chicago’s incoming mayor, Brandon Johnson, has a long list of tax proposals for the city, but he will have to get all of them past the City Council and some past the Illinois General Assembly.
Fifty-eight percent of Illinois voters polled said their property taxes don’t provide enough value in public services. Illinoisans pay the second-highest property taxes in the nation.
April 20 marks Illinois’ fourth high holiday with recreational marijuana. Here’s how cannabis tax dollars are used. March’s monthly sales topped $135 million.
A former Alton labor union president pleaded guilty to transporting thousands of dollars in stolen member dues across state lines to gamble and pay for personal expenses.
AFSCME Council 31’s own federal reports show 18.5% of workers have chosen to break away since the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Janus v. AFSCME. It could be because less than 21% of the union’s spending is on representing its members.
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson stood with striking Chicago State University faculty. Eastern Illinois University and Governors State University are also undergoing faculty strikes.
No other state’s constitution or labor laws are like Illinois’ – broadly allowing government unions to override statutes simply by negotiating contrary provisions into collective bargaining agreements. Illinois may not be alone for long.
The ComEd 4 corruption trial proves concentrated power breeds corruption. The fix? Reform the rules former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan crafted to concentrate all that power.
The “gift room” scandal, a botched police raid and a smokestack implosion underscore how the head of Chicago’s Law Department, also known as the corporation counsel, too often lacks independence from the mayor’s office. Chicago’s corporation counsel is appointed by the mayor and can be removed at the mayor’s discretion. Experience in other major cities...