Gov. Bruce Rauner: Illinois can save $500M on purchases

By Mark Fitton

02/05/2016

Streamlining the way Illinois buys goods and services could save the state $500 million annually.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner

Springfield couldn’t bail out Chicago Public Schools even if it wanted to

By Ted Dabrowski

02/05/2016

State-run teacher pensions have a shortfall of $37,000 per student, while Chicago's shortfall totals $24,000.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education, pensions

Illinois EPA has stopped mailing vehicle emissions test notices

By Amy Korte

02/05/2016

Budget gridlock in Springfield has caused the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to stop mailing notices of vehicle-emissions-test requirements to vehicle owners.

Special Service Areas: Chicago’s little-known taxing bodies

By Chris Lentino

02/04/2016

Special Service Areas levy taxes on Chicagoans over and above the already steep taxes and fees imposed by the city.

TAGS: Chicago, Special Service Areas, taxes

Pensions vs. higher education

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/04/2016

Skyrocketing pensions, bloated administrations are pricing students out of college degrees

Reform commission targets occupational licensing

By Bryant Jackson-Green

02/04/2016

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s criminal-justice reform commission urges removing overbroad occupational licensing restrictions that bar ex-offenders from pursuing work in over 118 professions.

TAGS: criminal justice reform, occupational licensing

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

The crisis threatens to burden taxpayers with massive, ever-escalating taxes to bail out a system that is not sustainable – government-worker pensions consume a fourth of the state’s budget.

Emanuel promises another Chicago property-tax hike

By Austin Berg

02/03/2016

Mere months after passing the largest tax hike in modern Chicago history, Mayor Rahm Emanuel vows to hit residents with even higher property-tax bills, this time to bail out pension mismanagement by Chicago Public Schools officials – behavior tacitly endorsed by the Chicago Teachers Union.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, Rahm Emanuel

Steps and lanes: Understanding how Chicago public school teachers get multiple pay raises each year

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

02/03/2016

Chicago teachers’ salaries are based on a complex and convoluted system that has provided teachers with annual pay increases well in excess of the 2.75 to 3 percent raises proposed by the district.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Rauner’s criminal-justice reform commission issues first recommendations

By Bryant Jackson-Green

02/02/2016

The commission’s 14 policy suggestions aim to safely reduce Illinois’ prison population by 25 percent by 2025.

TAGS: criminal justice reform

Illinois

Gov. Bruce Rauner: Illinois can save $500M on purchases

Springfield couldn’t bail out Chicago Public Schools even if it wanted to

Illinois EPA has stopped mailing vehicle emissions test notices

Special Service Areas: Chicago’s little-known taxing bodies

Pensions vs. higher education

Reform commission targets occupational licensing

Pensions 101: Understanding Illinois’ massive, government-worker pension crisis

Emanuel promises another Chicago property-tax hike

Steps and lanes: Understanding how Chicago public school teachers get multiple pay raises each year

Rauner’s criminal-justice reform commission issues first recommendations

Taxed out: 10 reforms to stop Illinois from losing people and jobs

Report Archive

Take advantage of the various ways to vote

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

CBS Chicago: Illinois’ highest-paid superintendent receives $400K per year to oversee 1,200 students