Institute for Justice

Chicago needs more than small gestures for small business

08/02/2013
This week, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office issued a press release boasting of steps the city has taken to make it easier and faster for small businesses to get city licenses. According to the statement, visitors to the city’s Small Business Center can now take advantage of an express lane, a self-service station and additional “customer service”...

When it comes to freedom, Illinois comes up short

03/31/2013
The Mercatus Center, which conducts market-oriented research at George Mason University, released a study ranking the 50 states based on whether or not government polices promote fiscal and personal freedoms.

U.S. Supreme Court Rules for School Choice

04/04/2011
by Amanda Griffin-Johnson Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of school choice in Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn, a case involving Arizona’s private school scholarship tax credit program. The Supreme Court declared that the plaintiffs in the case lack standing to bring the challenge, reversing a decision by Ninth Circuit. From...

Talking Without License = Jail

09/27/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen Can talking without a license land you in a DC jail? From our friends at the Institute for Justice: In Washington, D.C., talking without a license can land you in jail for 90 days. Tonia Edwards and Bill Main are lawbreakers. Nearly every day, they teach a group of people how to ride Segways,...

Illinois Gets “D” Grade on Civil Forfeiture Laws

08/02/2010
by Brian Costin Unlike criminal asset forfeiture, with civil forfeiture, a property owner need not be found guilty of a crime—or even charged—to permanently lose her cash, car, home or other property, a system which creates perverse incentives for law enforcement and jeopardizes a citizen’s property rights. The Institute for Justice recently released a 50-state report...

The Jury on School Vouchers

03/24/2010
This report, prepared by the Institute for Justice, says SB294 is constitutional under both the federal Establishment Clause and the Illinois Constitution.

Taxed out: 10 reforms to stop Illinois from losing people and jobs

Illinois’ tax code stands in the way of the state’s economic competitiveness. The combination of high tax burdens and a poor tax structure contributes to the loss of jobs and investment to other states. From a place of former economic dominance, Illinois now ranks 45th in gross state product (GSP) growth over the past decade...

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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