Citizens Empowerment Act could mean relief for Illinois property taxpayers

By Justin Carlson

03/22/2021

House Bill 433 would make it easier for Illinois taxpayers to dissolve unnecessary units of government in the state with the nation’s highest number of government units.

TAGS: administrative bloat, Citizens Empowerment Act, local government consolidation, property taxes

Illinois government saw too many make ‘naughty’ list in 2020

By Brad Weisenstein

12/22/2020

COVID-19 showed everyone the heroes in health care and essential services, but it also exposed weak character or bad behavior of many in Illinois government.

TAGS: Christmas, IDES: Illinois Department of Employment Security, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan

Madigan’s legacy of corruption will survive his downfall, unless …

By Joe Tabor

11/19/2020

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.

TAGS: ComEd, corruption, house, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, madigan, Mike Madigan, Mike McClain, reform, speaker

Democratic state lawmakers demand ethics reform in wake of Madigan scandal

08/17/2020

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

TAGS: corruption, Democratic Party, ethics, federal investigation, lobbying, Mike Madigan

Illinois watchdog’s report of ‘serious misconduct’ was ‘squashed’ by panel of lawmakers

By Joe Tabor

02/07/2020

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.

TAGS: corruption, ethics, ethics violation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, Jonathan Carroll, Julie Porter, Legislative Ethics Commission, Legislative Inspector General, OEIG: Office of the Executive Inspector General, sexual harrassment, Springfield, transparency, watchdog

Where you can and can’t buy recreational marijuana in Illinois

11/15/2019

Many Illinois municipalities have voted to ban or restrict marijuana sales when it becomes legal for sale. Here’s a list of where pot will, won’t and might be legally bought.

TAGS: Arlington Heights, Bolingbrook, Buffalo Grove, cannabis, Carbondale, Carol Stream, Chicago, City of Springfield, collar counties, Collinsville, Danville, Decatur, Downers Grove, DuPage County, Edwardsville, Elmhurst, Grayslake, Highland Park, Joliet, Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, legalization, Libertyville, Lombard, marijuana, Mundelein, municipal government, Naperville, Northbrook, Oak Park, Plainfield, prohibition, Schaumburg, Urbana, Waukegan, Wheaton, Winnetka

Nearly 1 in 4 joint filers in Northbrook would see income tax hike if voters approve Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’

By Bryce Hill, Chena Underhill

10/03/2019

Voters statewide will decide whether 2,728 Northbrook taxpayers should send $58 million in additional income taxes to Springfield.

TAGS: fair tax, graduated income tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, Northbrook, progressive income tax, taxes

Illinois House committee passes progressive income tax rates without public notice

By Bryce Hill, Austin Berg

05/25/2019

In a party-line vote that even fellow lawmakers were unaware of, Illinois House Democrats passed out of committee a progressive income tax rate structure that would take effect should Gov. J.B. Pritzker succeed in scrapping Illinois’ constitutional flat income tax protection.

TAGS: corporate income tax, fair tax, graduated income tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, Margo McDermed, Michael Zalewski, progressive income tax, taxes

Bipartisan township consolidation bill heads to Pritzker’s desk

05/17/2019

Former Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed a bill that would have made it easier for McHenry County residents to consolidate their townships. Renewed bipartisan support has sent it back to the governor’s desk, now occupied by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

TAGS: consolidation, local government consolidation, property taxes, taxes

Pritzker takes 1 step forward, 2 steps back on tax hike push

By Austin Berg

05/09/2019

With taxpayer opposition intensifying, the governor’s vision for a $3.4 billion progressive income tax hike is slipping away.

TAGS: fair tax, income tax, JB Pritzker, progressive income tax, taxes

Northbrook

Citizens Empowerment Act could mean relief for Illinois property taxpayers

Illinois government saw too many make ‘naughty’ list in 2020

Madigan’s legacy of corruption will survive his downfall, unless …

Democratic state lawmakers demand ethics reform in wake of Madigan scandal

Illinois watchdog’s report of ‘serious misconduct’ was ‘squashed’ by panel of lawmakers

Where you can and can’t buy recreational marijuana in Illinois

Nearly 1 in 4 joint filers in Northbrook would see income tax hike if voters approve Pritzker’s ‘fair tax’

Illinois House committee passes progressive income tax rates without public notice

Bipartisan township consolidation bill heads to Pritzker’s desk

Pritzker takes 1 step forward, 2 steps back on tax hike push

Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

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