Illinois

Playing favorites: Education pension spending favors wealthy, suburban schools

By Collin Hitt
05/02/2012
The problem State education funding is designed to ensure a base amount of money is available to every student in Illinois. To that end, the state strives to send more money to poor districts and less money to districts with a healthy property tax base. But a bird’s eye view of Illinois education spending reveals...

Online affiliate tax: Struck down

By Chris Andriesen
04/26/2012
by Peter White, Liberty Justice Center Yesterday morning I sat in the Daley Center and listened as Cook County Circuit Judge Robert Lopez Cepero struck down Illinois’ internet affiliate tax law and, in so doing, handed victory to thousands of internet entrepreneurs across the state. While the outcome of the case will rest ultimately with...

More than 1,000 students rally for charter schools in Springfield

By Chris Andriesen
04/26/2012
by Michael Wille Last week, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools hosted its annual “Have Your Say Day” at the Capitol. More than 1,000 students from across Chicago boarded buses at Soldier Field and traveled to Springfield to rallyand meet with legislators. Their demands? Simple. Support HB 5225, which provides equal funding for charter schools across the...

A Victory for Liberty: Judge strikes down Illinois online affiliate marketing tax

By Lawrence McQuillan
04/25/2012
This morning, Cook County Circuit Judge Robert Lopez Cepero struck down the online affiliate tax (Public Act 096-1544). The law required out-of-state online retailers such as Amazon.com to collect and remit sales taxes on purchases made by Illinois residents if the online retailer maintained a physical presence in Illinois. The law was signed by Gov....

Gov. Quinn’s plan for Medicaid: hike taxes and cut access to care

By Jonathan Ingram
04/19/2012
Moments ago, Gov. Quinn released his plan to cut Medicaid spending by $2.7 billion. So what does that plan actually look like? It looks like a tax hike coupled with even worse access to care for the poor. Sen. Dale Righter and Rep. Patti Bellock have both voiced opposition to the Governor’s plan, and the Medicaid working...

Dixon fails Local Transparency Audit, Comptroller accused of stealing $53 million

By Brian Costin
04/19/2012
Illinois has long been known for corruption of government. Recently, a national public corruption study from University of Illinois-Chicago ranked the Northern District of Illinois as the most corrupt area in the nation. So it’s hardly shocking when we hear of another public corruption case. But the latest case of public corruption from the city of Dixon,...
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Fighting poverty with employment: Chicago block clubs

Leaders of these organizations on the South and West sides connect residents to jobs and engage youth to build safer neighborhoods.

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016