Incumbent politicians hate to be criticized, and in Illinois some of them have decided to do something about it – not by correcting the behavior for which people criticize them, but by trying to repeal the First Amendment. That may sound outrageous, but it’s true. On Thursday, the Illinois Senate’s Executive Committee passed a resolution...

In July, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn used his line-item veto power to suspend legislators’ salaries, pledging to withhold legislators’ paychecks until they solved the state’s pension problem. But just Thursday, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Neil H. Cohen ruled that Quinn’s move was unconstitutional. Article IV, Section 11, of the Illinois Constitution prohibits any “changes” to...

Despite their rationale, critics who oppose term limits are siding with the status quo, which not only keeps intact all-powerful political dynasties but also preserves special-interest lobbyists’ relationships with legislators. Christopher Mooney is one such critic, as he made clear in his recent anti-term limits editorial in Crain’s Chicago Business. By opposing term limits, Mooney isn’t...