Teachers can stop paying union dues and keep their benefits By Hannah Schmid 07/29/2026 Educators can join thousands of their colleagues and opt out of union membership — and retain all benefits provided in their contract. TAGS: Janus v. AFSCME
Pritzker gets his school cell phone ban bill despite CTU opposition By Lilly Rossi 07/28/2026 The issue was a priority for the governor. Here’s what you need to know.
Update: Pritzker signs bill to limit cell phone use in classrooms By Benjamin Hines 07/28/2026 The measure would prohibit most student cell phone use in class. Illinois is one of only eight states with no state law governing cell phone use in schools.
Illinois lawmakers sandwich in less crucial bills By Lilly Rossi 07/28/2026 Not all of the nearly 3,100 bills introduced this year in Springfield aim at top voter concerns.
Who should pay for new sports stadiums? By Lilly Rossi 07/28/2026 As teams in Chicago and elsewhere pursue new venues and entertainment districts, lawmakers face renewed questions about public financing.
Illinois sales taxes near top in U.S. By Adam Gorcyca 07/28/2026 Chicago will have one of the highest big-city rates in the country when the transit tax inches up Aug. 1.
The Illinois Federation of Teachers spends millions on politics, but teachers can say ‘no’ By Lilly Rossi 07/27/2026 The union embraces political spending tactics the Chicago Teachers Union uses in an effort to further its political goals. TAGS: IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers
Illinois students can benefit from state move to improve math proficiency By Hannah Schmid 07/24/2026 The state board of education approved a comprehensive plan to guide school districts on evidence-based math instruction.
Tequila is optional. Constitutional liquor tax rules aren’t. By Joe Tabor, Riya Kapoor 07/24/2026 Illinois wisely scrapped a proposal that could well have violated a 1988 state Supreme Court ruling. TAGS: alcohol tax, Illinois Department of Revenue
UPDATE: Lawsuit aims to block Illinois’ first-in-U.S. crypto transaction tax By Adam Gorcyca 07/23/2026 The tax now has been challenged in court.