Amendment 1 would permanently write indicted former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s public union deals into the state constitution. If passed, neither lawmakers nor voters could ever change them.

Government unions in Illinois have tremendous power. Most are allowed to go on strike and can bargain over virtually anything.1 It creates an uneven playing field, with unions able to demand costly provisions in their contracts and threaten to strike – denying Illinoisans needed services – to get what they want.2 Until recently, the potential...