A recession would quickly sink Illinois’ unemployment insurance fund

By LyLena Estabine

03/24/2026

State unemployment insurance could withstand less than three months in an economic downturn. The taxes that support the fund are among the highest in the country.

Pritzker boosts lawsuit rights for outsiders, limits Illinoisans

By Joe Tabor

11/11/2025

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker made it harder for Illinoisans to sue the state but just made it easier for outsiders to sue businesses here.

TAGS: JB Pritzker

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

01/28/2025

Published Jan. 28, 2025 Illinois Policy Institute Center for Poverty Solutions, in partnership with the Archbridge Institute By Joshua Bandoch, Ph.D., head of policy, Illinois Policy Institute and Justin Callais, Ph.D., chief economist, Archbridge Institute EXECUTIVE SUMMARY A low-income person’s ability to move up in society is worse in Illinois than in any other Midwestern...

Regulatory reform can make housing more affordable for Illinois families  

By Josh Bandoch, Joe Tabor

07/09/2024

Published July 9, 2024 America is facing a housing affordability crisis. According to a 2022 survey, 73% of Americans said the average person could not afford a home in their area, and 69% were worried about their children and grandchildren being able to afford a home. That’s unfair. Everyone deserves a good roof over their...

Literacy in Illinois: Low third-grade reading proficiency warns of trouble ahead

By Hannah Schmid

05/30/2024

Third grade marks a critical reading milestone: if students struggle then, they will face greater problems during the rest of their educations. State data shows 7 of 10 Illinois third graders can’t read at grade level, meaning there’s trouble awaiting most Illinois students.

TAGS: public schools

Universal licensing bill would help professionals move to Illinois

By Patrick Andriesen

04/03/2024

House Bill 5608 would allow professionals with out-of-state licenses or experience to work in Illinois and help residents with certifications from other states to work. Universal licensing was already adopted by 22 other states.

TAGS: occupational licensing

Chicago Teachers Union demands excluding parents from student pronoun, sexuality info

By Dylan Sharkey

03/22/2024

The Chicago Teachers Union leaders want student information regarding student pronouns and sexual orientation to be kept confidential from parents if that’s what the student wants.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union

Illinois licensing makes escaping poverty harder than in other Midwestern states

By Joe Tabor

11/27/2023

Illinois could make it easier to escape poverty by letting more people work without first getting a license. Six neighboring states do a better job of easing occupational licensing on low-income professions.

Midwest states expand school choice while Illinois fights to save scholarships for low-income students

By Hannah Schmid

08/22/2023

Five Midwest states have enacted or expanded school choice programs since the Invest in Kids Act was enacted in 2017. Now Illinois’ scholarships are set to expire while other programs thrive.

TAGS: Invest in Kids, school choice

How Illinois politicians allow government unions to rewrite state law

By Mailee Smith, Hannah Schmid

04/06/2023

No other state’s constitution or labor laws are like Illinois’ – broadly allowing government unions to override statutes simply by negotiating contrary provisions into collective bargaining agreements. Illinois may not be alone for long.

Kansas

A recession would quickly sink Illinois’ unemployment insurance fund

Pritzker boosts lawsuit rights for outsiders, limits Illinoisans

Illinois’ low social mobility: causes and cures

Regulatory reform can make housing more affordable for Illinois families

Literacy in Illinois: Low third-grade reading proficiency warns of trouble ahead

Universal licensing bill would help professionals move to Illinois

Chicago Teachers Union demands excluding parents from student pronoun, sexuality info

Illinois licensing makes escaping poverty harder than in other Midwestern states

Midwest states expand school choice while Illinois fights to save scholarships for low-income students

How Illinois politicians allow government unions to rewrite state law

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

Report Archive

Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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