Illinois lawmakers push to keep kids and education from 21st century learning

05/06/2013

by Ted Dabrowski* With a bill that blocks the authorization of any new virtual charter schools, state Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, D-Aurora, aims to slow Illinois’ move into the 21st century. Her law, House Bill 494, calls for a one-year moratorium “on the establishment of charter schools with virtual-schooling components in school districts other than [Chicago...

Reform: This way Lessons from states that got it right

03/31/2013

Join the Illinois Policy Institute and learn from a panel of courageous leaders who championed bold changes on school choice, pension and budget reforms, Right to Work and more.

TAGS: school choice, vouchers

Michigan unions looking for ways around Right to Work

03/31/2013

Illinoisans should keep an eye on Michigan, where a new Right-to-Work law has now gone into effect.

Michigan union officials opt to dump pensions to keep collecting mandatory dues

03/31/2013

For union officials, self-preservation and the desire to avoid accountability to workers trumps their desire to maintain defined benefit pensions; they were willing to dump those pensions to continue mandatory dues.

TAGS: Michigan, unions

The battle for Right to Work is a marathon, not a sprint

03/31/2013

Labor unions have a virtual lock on Illinois politics. Unionized government delivers services ever-less efficiently in rough proportion to its ever-increasing size.

TAGS: Michigan

Laying blame: union bosses also culpable for pension crisis

By Paul Kersey

02/28/2013

In case you missed it, a couple of days ago journalist Dave McKinney of the Chicago Sun-Times put together an interesting history lesson on how the state of Illinois wound up committing securities fraud.

TAGS: pensions

Californias fake reforms yield credit upgrade

01/31/2013

In January, Standard and Poors upgraded Californias credit rating to A from A-, an action the rating agency said resulted from the states improved fiscal condition.

Bailing out state pension systems rewards bad behavior

12/31/2012

Over the weekend, the Peoria Journal Star published a letter to the editor from an elementary school principal in downstate Illinois.

PRESS RELEASE: Illinois Policy Institute opposes Nekritz-Biss pension plan

12/31/2012

PRESS RELEASE from the ILLINOIS POLICY INSTITUTE EXPERTS AVAILABLE IN CHICAGO AND SPRINGFIELD MEDIA CONTACT: Diana Rickert or Daniel Anthony daniel@illinoispolicy.org or (312) 607-4977 Illinois Policy Institute opposes Nekritz-Biss pension plan Yes, pensions must reformed, but the Nekritz-Biss bill would worsen the pension crisis, not fix it SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Jan. 8, 2013) Illinois lawmakers...

Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012

By Benjamin VanMetre

12/22/2012

Unfortunately, 2012 was another dismal year for budget and tax policy in Illinois. It seems that the more things change the more they get worse in this state. But the Illinois Policy Institute is fighting to fix that. We believe that Illinois can once again become a beacon of economic freedom, individual liberty and prosperity....

Michigan

Illinois lawmakers push to keep kids and education from 21st century learning

Reform: This way Lessons from states that got it right

Michigan unions looking for ways around Right to Work

Michigan union officials opt to dump pensions to keep collecting mandatory dues

The battle for Right to Work is a marathon, not a sprint

Laying blame: union bosses also culpable for pension crisis

Californias fake reforms yield credit upgrade

Bailing out state pension systems rewards bad behavior

PRESS RELEASE: Illinois Policy Institute opposes Nekritz-Biss pension plan

Budget and tax year-end review: a recap of the best and worst of 2012

Who Lives Below the Poverty Line in Illinois? Family Structure and Education Mark the Highest Risk

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Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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