Will Pritzker run for president in 2028?

By Grace Hansen, Dylan Sharkey

09/23/2026

Pritzker says he’ll be “very involved” in the 2028 election for president.

Thanks to gerrymandering, over 90% of recently passed bills in Illinois were sponsored by one party 

By Lilly Rossi

07/31/2026

Partisan politics is a big player in the Illinois Capitol. The state needs real redistricting reform to increase competition, expand representation and strengthen accountability.

How Illinois has changed under Pritzker

By Dylan Sharkey

01/05/2026

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is acting like the 2028 Democratic candidate for president. But what does Pritzker’s Illinois resume say about his leadership?

TAGS: JB Pritzker

9 things you’d likely get wrong about Illinois Federation of Teachers

By Mailee Smith

06/11/2025

The Illinois Federation of Teachers represents employees in more than 200 school districts across the state, but it does a lot that defies expectations. Here are nine things you and its members likely misunderstand, most related to colluding with the Chicago Teachers Union.

TAGS: IFT: Illinois Federation of Teachers

Group pushes tax on Amazon deliveries, digital ads in final budget talks

By Ravi Mishra

05/30/2025

With the budget facing a potential $1.2 billion deficit, some ideas on the table include taxing deliveries from companies such as Amazon and digital ads.

Testimony: Chicago pension systems’ dire finances cannot afford benefit boost

By Bryce Hill

02/27/2025

Members of the Illinois Senate Pensions Committee heard from pension administrators and government unions about the need for more benefits from retirement systems that are already broken. The Illinois Policy Institute was there, too, to represent taxpayers’ interests.

Chicago’s hidden housing solution: How additional dwelling unit expansion can make city more affordable

By LyLena Estabine

01/23/2025

Published Jan. 23, 2025 Chicago’s 2020 Additional Dwelling Unit Ordinance, while well-intentioned, has stifled development. Despite 71% of Chicagoans being in favor of putting additional dwelling units on existing residential lots – higher than the national average – restrictive and inequitable regulations have ensured very few are built.1 Only 44% of pre-approved applications have received...

National Education Association sees teacher exodus as political spending balloons

By Mailee Smith

12/06/2024

NEA has lost nearly 400,000 members since its peak in 2009. It could be because just 9% of the union’s spending is on representing teachers – with the rest on politics, administration and other union leader priorities.

TAGS: education, IEA-NEA: Illinois Education Association

Illinois government workers’ union dues being diverted to swing-state politics

By Mailee Smith

09/19/2024

Illinois government workers’ union dues fund Democratic Party campaign committees, which are now seeking to tip the presidential election outcome in swing states. That fails to align with at least 40% of members’ politics.

TAGS: SEIU: Service Employees International Union

Democratic National Convention to tout education policy near Chicago school where no kids read at grade level

By Dylan Sharkey

08/16/2024

Education will be a major platform piece during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Too bad the party will meet near a Chicago school where spending $27K per student yields none who can read at grade level.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools, education

Kamala Harris

Will Pritzker run for president in 2028?

Thanks to gerrymandering, over 90% of recently passed bills in Illinois were sponsored by one party

How Illinois has changed under Pritzker

9 things you’d likely get wrong about Illinois Federation of Teachers

Group pushes tax on Amazon deliveries, digital ads in final budget talks

Testimony: Chicago pension systems’ dire finances cannot afford benefit boost

Chicago’s hidden housing solution: How additional dwelling unit expansion can make city more affordable

National Education Association sees teacher exodus as political spending balloons

Illinois government workers’ union dues being diverted to swing-state politics

Democratic National Convention to tout education policy near Chicago school where no kids read at grade level

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

Report Archive

Take advantage of the various ways to vote

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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