After decades under Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s rule, Illinois is corroding from his concentration of power. Robust ethics laws, rules and norms could stop a new Madigan from rising.

With the "fair tax" campaign, lawmakers aim to sell voters a shovel to entrench the status quo by advertising it as a weapon with which to fight against it.

Pressure continues to build to repair Illinois’ broken ethics laws, as more Democrats demand reform and more lawmakers face corruption charges.

Four long-time Illinois General Assembly members who pushed through the “fair tax” referendum have been charged with crimes. A fifth faces a bribery investigation.

Madigan was implicated in bribery charges filed against ComEd. Calls for his resignation are starting.

State lawmakers putting together ethics reforms have not met since the first week of March, when the coronavirus ended gatherings.

Illinois’ Legislative Inspector General currently is subjected to political influence or even silencing by members of the General Assembly.

Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s release from federal prison may be making room behind bars for other Illinois politicians. Illinois is the top state for corruption, and federal agents are busy looking for more.

Illinois’ legislative inspector general investigates complaints against state lawmakers, but a commission of their peers can – and did – bury those findings, the former inspector said. A new bill would change that.