The Problem The World Shooting and Recreation Complex (WSRC) in Sparta, Illinois was completed in 2006 at a construction cost of $31.5 million (as well as another $18 million for road, water, and sewer improvement). The 1,600-acre facility includes 746 RV campsites, 120 trap shooting fields, and a 34,000 square foot events center. The state-funded...

by Amanda Griffin-Johnson The state budget crisis has created mounting problems for the state government, from state credit ratings plummeting to vendors refusing state orders because of late payments. But this hasn’t stopped the spending. Earlier this month, Governor Quinn granted $50 million of new spending for job training projects, even though hospitals, schools, and non-profits are still waiting for...

by Lee Williams Download a formatted version of this report, complete with a table of the Pittman-Robertson Act contracts awarded by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, here. SPRINGFIELD, IL.—The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is misappropriating millions of dollars that should have been earmarked for the state’s sportsmen. The Pittman-Robertson Act, an 11-percent federal tax on...