Bruce Rauner: The first 30 days

By Matt Paprocki

02/13/2015

Issuing seven new executive orders and rescinding seven others, along with delivering a State of the State address, the new governor has had a busy first month in office.

TAGS: Bruce Rauner

State-employee health benefits: Avoiding the ObamaCare ‘Cadillac tax’

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

02/13/2015

Illinois government should restructure its health-insurance offerings to be more in line with what is offered in the private sector, and in a way that does not trigger the federal tax penalty.

Government union contracts kept secret – until it’s too late

By David Giuliani

02/11/2015

Public bodies in Illinois rarely let taxpayers see proposed contracts before a vote – but local officials certainly don’t mind sticking taxpayers with the bill afterward.

Corruption Watch: January 2015

By Shawn Tonge

02/11/2015

The start of a new year always comes with resolutions for improvement, but only time will tell if they translate into effective action.

TAGS: good government

Rauner’s ‘fair share’ executive order fights for the First Amendment

02/11/2015

Simple logic. Respect for rights. These are things Illinoisans are not used to seeing from their state government, so perhaps it’s understandable that some are having trouble understanding what Rauner has done and why he has done it.

TAGS: executive order, labor

The anatomy of influence: Government unions in Illinois

By David Giuliani, Chris Andriesen

02/11/2015

The five major government unions in Illinois spent a combined $46 million in political campaigns from 2002 to 2014.

Budget Solutions 2016: State-employee health insurance: Opportunities for reform

By Naomi Lopez Bauman

02/11/2015

State workers’ health-insurance benefits make up $3 billion of the state’s budget.

Governments unions veer from mission in Illinois

By David Giuliani

02/11/2015

Big spending at hotels, holiday parties and retirement events is financed by forced dues.

TAGS: AFSCME: American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, labor, SEIU: Service Employees International Union, unions

Budget Solutions 2016: Debt service on state bonds diverts billions from essential programs

By Robert Steere

02/10/2015

The cost of debt service in fiscal year 2015 is nearly $4 billion, 11 percent of Illinois' anticipated revenues.

Government unions bloated with overhead

By David Giuliani

02/09/2015

Illinois’ biggest public-sector unions fail to meet the standard for nonprofits.

TAGS: IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association, IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers, labor

Illinois

Bruce Rauner: The first 30 days

State-employee health benefits: Avoiding the ObamaCare ‘Cadillac tax’

Government union contracts kept secret – until it’s too late

Corruption Watch: January 2015

Rauner’s ‘fair share’ executive order fights for the First Amendment

The anatomy of influence: Government unions in Illinois

Budget Solutions 2016: State-employee health insurance: Opportunities for reform

Governments unions veer from mission in Illinois

Budget Solutions 2016: Debt service on state bonds diverts billions from essential programs

Government unions bloated with overhead

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