Illinois

Ayes for Fiscal Reform

07/29/2010
by Ashley Muchow Hats off to Governor Pat Quinn and State Senator Pamela Althoff (R-McHenry) for their vocal support of greater transparency and responsible financial decision making in Springfield. It comes in the wake of a recent Institute report that showed 97 percent of the bill’s awaiting the governor’s signature have no fiscal note attached. After the legislature’s unprecedented...

Spotlight on Spending #9: The State Un-Fair

By Chris Andriesen
07/29/2010
The Problem Around this time each year, Illinois residents start making plans to attend the DuQuoin and Illinois State Fairs. But these state fairs are costing taxpayers much more than their ticket prices suggest. These two state fairs have a long record of their expenditures far outweighing their revenues. Between fiscal years 2001 and 2009,...

Registered Nurses Paid More Than $68K

07/28/2010
by Will Compernolle The State of Illinois hired 910 registered nurses in fiscal year 2008 for $62,742,469 in combined total wages. The average salary was $68,947 while the highest paid registered nurse made $188,009. The Bureau of Labor Statistics website shows the mean salary for a registered nurse in Illinois was $65,440. Our IllinoisOpenGov.org website distinguishes between “Registered Nurse...

A History of Excellence…Wait…That’s Not It.

07/28/2010
by Kristin Nisbet A recent piece in The American Spectator by RiShawn Biddle, chronicles Illinois’ less than perfect past.  Biddle explains that as things have gotten hairy for former Illinois governor Blagojevich, the prospect of what’s to come for either Quinn or Brady does not promise “sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.” But even if he lands in prison,...

State Hires 22 Receptionists

07/27/2010
by Will Compernolle The State of Illinois hired 22 receptionists in fiscal year 2008 for $657,353.22 in combined total wages. Of the 22, 14 were titled “receptionist,” 4 were titled “clerk typist/receptionist,” 2 were titled “office receptionist,” and 1 was titled “receptionist-secretary.” The highest paid receptionist made $49,972 while the average receptionist took home a...

D.C. Schools Superintendent Wants Vouchers

07/26/2010
by Collin Hitt Special education in Washington D.C. public schools is mired with problems. So much so that legally savvy parents of special needs students often win big-dollar lawsuits to have their children placed in city private schools. Across the country, the role that private schools play in special education is small but significant.  Parents,...

Gov. Quinn Signs Hair Braiding Bill Into Law

07/26/2010
by Brian Costin There is a bit of good news from Governor Quinn’s office making the papers today. Quinn recently signed into law a pro-enterprise bill in regards to reducing the licensing requirements on hair braiders. Back in March, the Institute’s Executive Vice President, Kristina Rasmussen,testified on the principles behind the HB 5783 bill sponsored by Rep. William Burns...

State Social Historians Bring Home $46K Salary

07/23/2010
by Will Compernolle The Office of the State Appellate Defender hired six social historians in fiscal year 2008 for $278,278 in combined total wages. The average salary was $46,379.67 while the highest paid social historian made $57,569. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the mean salary for a historian in Illinois was $45,900. A description for...

Project Funded by American Taxpayers

07/23/2010
by Kate Piercy One of the best moves taken by Gov. Quinn when he took over as Governor after Blagojevich involved taking down the tollway signs that read “Open Road Tolling—Rod R. Blagojevich, Governor.” Yet, Quinn’s decision didn’t compel other state officials to stop “using government funds for self-promotion.” The Chicago Tribune reports, “Lately, on highways being...

Unlikely Illinois Will Receive Federal Money Included in State Budget

07/23/2010
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Illinois Statehouse News (ISN) reports that “Gov. Pat Quinn’s office is, for the first time, acknowledging that the state may not get $750 million from Washington” for Medicaid. The Governor’s office was hoping that the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), the increased Medicaid reimbursements from the federal government, would be extended. Chances are...
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FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Illinois students could soon benefit from scholarship money to help them find a tutor, attend ACT or SAT prep sessions, pay tuition, get special education services or assist with other academic needs. That will happen in Illinois only if Gov. J.B. Pritzker lets the state’s schoolchildren benefit from the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, established...

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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