Illinois

10 Peoria-area municipalities fail government transparency audit

By Brian Costin
04/11/2012
Peoria, Ill. (April 11, 2012) – Ten out of eleven government agencies in the Peoria-area received failing grades in an online transparency audit conducted by local citizen activists and the Illinois Policy Institute. Members of the Peoria 9/12 group worked with the Institute to grade local government websites on how much public data is readily...

Food entrepreneurs need real freedom

04/05/2012
A story in the Pekin Daily Times reports that farm-market shoppers in Illinois will have more choices this year, thanks to a law Governor Quinn signed last August, the Local Food Entrepreneur and Cottage Food Operation Act. But the law might not be as beneficial as the its backers suggest — and Illinois and other governments can and should do...

Hanover Township earns A in government transparency audit

By Brian Costin
04/05/2012
With a score of 96.5 percent, the Hanover Township is the first township-level government entity in the state to earn an “A” grade in the Illinois Policy Institute’s Local Transparency Project. The Local Transparency Project grades governments on the availability to the public of vital community information, such as public meeting schedules, government employee salaries and...

What’s the deal with Thidwick?

By Chris Andriesen
04/05/2012
As I wrap up my tenure as a Milton Friedman intern for the Illinois Policy Institute, I will take with me many great experiences. More importantly, I learned many skills that have without a doubt, prepared me for a career advocating for economic freedom in Illinois and the United States. All that will prove crucial...

What are you paying for at the pump?

04/03/2012
As Illinois motorists shell out more and more for the rising cost of gas, many people want to know: what am I paying for? In Illinois, especially in Chicago and Cook County, drivers may be surprised to find out that they’re paying significantly more in taxes on gas than drivers do in other states. At...

It’s working in Wisconsin: Gov. Walker signs ed reform legislation

By Chris Andriesen
04/03/2012
by Michael Wille Yesterday, Gov. Scott Walker signed the “Read to Lead” legislation into law aimed at improving education for Wisconsin students. Starting in Kindergarten, children will now be tested on literacy to set a benchmark of their skills and better understand what interventions are required to ensure reading capabilities are strengthened by third grade. In addition...