Building fairness and opportunity: The effects of repealing Illinois’ prevailing wage law

By Orphe Divounguy

12/07/2017

Illinois’ Prevailing Wage Act has no place in the 21st century. Policymakers should enact fair and competitive construction laws that give all individuals who are willing to work a fighting chance.

Illinois home to higher ‘sin taxes’ than every neighboring state

By Brendan Bakala

10/03/2017

Illinois ranks eighth in the nation for state and local excise and selective sales tax collections.

TAGS: alcohol tax, cigarette tax, soda tax, taxes

Report: Philadelphia’s soda tax ‘failing’

By John Kristof

08/11/2017

Cook County residents should be wary in the wake of Philadelphia’s disappointing experiment in soda taxes.

TAGS: Chicago, Cook County, soda tax, Toni Preckwinkle

Puerto Rico’s ‘bankruptcy’ a warning to Illinois

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

05/05/2017

Illinois needs to enact structural spending reforms to avoid following Puerto Rico down the path to insolvency.

TAGS: budget, credit rating, debt, municipal government, municipal pensions, pensions, Puerto Rico

Sugary drink tax would be a bitter pill to swallow

By Austin Berg

03/09/2017

Illinois holds more than $66 million worth of stocks and bonds in PepsiCo, Coca Cola and Dr. Pepper Snapple alone.

TAGS: budget, grand bargain, soda tax, taxes

Endurance: A lesson from generations of American patriots for Illinoisans today

By John Tillman

05/16/2016

Those fighting in Springfield for a better future for Illinois should look to past generations of Americans who stayed the course through long and difficult battles for liberty.

Chicago teachers highest paid among nation’s 50 largest school districts

By Amy Korte

02/05/2016

Among the U.S.’ 50 largest school districts, CPS teachers’ pay ranks No. 1 for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and five years’ experience, No. 2 for first-year teachers with a bachelor’s degree, and No. 3 for first-year teachers with a master’s degree.

TAGS: Chicago, CPS: Chicago Public Schools

Moody’s: Chicago laggard in economic growth

By Ted Dabrowski, John Klingner

11/12/2015

A new report by Moody’s Investors Service details Chicago’s weak economic growth and increasing government-worker pension obligations.

Want to fix Illinois’ railroads? Pass workers’ compensation reform first

By Austin Berg

05/24/2015

Illinois spends three times more on workers’ compensation for railroad construction and maintenance than neighboring Indiana.

TAGS: CTA: Chicago Transit Authority, jobs, workers compensation

Corruption Watch: April 2015

By Shawn Tonge

05/08/2015

April saw two major players in Illinois education ensnared in charges of cronyism, among more than 60 other corruption-related stories.

TAGS: good government

Philadelphia

Building fairness and opportunity: The effects of repealing Illinois’ prevailing wage law

Illinois home to higher ‘sin taxes’ than every neighboring state

Report: Philadelphia’s soda tax ‘failing’

Puerto Rico’s ‘bankruptcy’ a warning to Illinois

Sugary drink tax would be a bitter pill to swallow

Endurance: A lesson from generations of American patriots for Illinoisans today

Chicago teachers highest paid among nation’s 50 largest school districts

Moody’s: Chicago laggard in economic growth

Want to fix Illinois’ railroads? Pass workers’ compensation reform first

Corruption Watch: April 2015

FAQ: How the federal scholarship program would help Illinois students

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