In March of this year, state Rep. Derrick Smith was charged with accepting a bribe of $7,000 in exchange for supporting a grant for a fictional day care operator in an undercover FBI sting. The legislature expelled Smith from the legislature in August, but after Tuesday night’s elections it appears that Smith will return to the Legislature...

Introduction Illinois’ prosperity hinges on better public policy, and 2011 was a crucial year for the state as it faces massive challenges. The state raised taxes on every family and business in Illinois, and then doled out tax breaks to a special few. Any serious reform of state spending was left to future years, meaning...

Introduction Policy changes lives. Legislation that lowers the cost of living and doing business in Illinois makes life better across the state. Legislation that gives children better educational opportunities can transform the futures of families and communities. But legislation that increases taxes, drives up public debt or limits economic opportunity can destroy a family’s dream,...