Ford Heights ex-mayor charged with stealing $150K from village

By Austin Berg

08/23/2018

One of the state’s poorest communities is already facing enormous financial pressures.

TAGS: Charles Griffin, corruption, Ford Heights

East Moline taxpayers could find savings through school district consolidation

By Vincent Caruso

07/09/2018

While Quad Cities geography connects East Moline and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Illinois’ abundance of school districts means their administrative environments are worlds apart. By consolidating duplicative administrative bodies, East Moline could generate taxpayer savings.

TAGS: East Moline, education, outmigration, pensions, Quad Cities, school district consolidation

Taxpayer victory: General Assembly passes bill restricting golden parachutes for government officials

By Vincent Caruso, Chris Lentino

05/29/2018

Senate Bill 3604 would limit government workers’ ability to collect extravagant severance packages, also known as “golden parachutes,” on their way out of office.

TAGS: Alex Clifford, College of DuPage, Doug Baker, Metra, NIU: Northern Illinois University, pensions, Robert Breuder, salaries, Tom Cullerton

Senate passes bill restricting ‘golden parachutes’ for government officials

By Vincent Caruso

05/03/2018

The Government Severance Pay Act would spare taxpayers the burden of providing excessive severance payouts to outgoing public officials.

TAGS: College of DuPage, golden parachute, NIU: Northern Illinois University, salaries, Tom Cullerton

Committee passes Senate bill taking aim at ‘golden parachute’ severance payouts

By Vincent Caruso

04/26/2018

The Government Severance Pay Act would restrict outgoing officials from exiting office with excessive severance pay.

TAGS: pensions, salaries, Tom Cullerton

Senate bill aims to deflate ‘golden parachute’ payouts for public officials

By Vincent Caruso

04/14/2018

The Government Severance Pay Act would restrict outgoing officials from exiting office with excessive severance pay.

TAGS: College of DuPage, NIU: Northern Illinois University, salaries, Tom Cullerton

River Forest District 90 will pay 100 percent of teacher pension contributions

By Mailee Smith

09/15/2017

In the midst of Illinois’ pension crisis, River Forest District 90 has agreed to pay 100 percent of teacher contributions to the Teachers' Retirement System – and it did so secretly.

TAGS: pensions, teacher salaries, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

While politicians posture, Illinois industry is getting crushed

By Austin Berg

05/04/2017

The average cost of workers’ comp for steel workers among neighboring states is under $8 per $100 of payroll compared to nearly $12 in Illinois.

TAGS: jobs, manufacturing, workers compensation

Taxpayers deserve say in the teachers’ union contracts they pay for

By Mailee Smith

03/21/2017

Negotiations between government-worker unions and governing bodies are conducted behind closed doors, away from public scrutiny. And yet taxpayers are required to pay for whatever extravagant benefits the unions obtain. Recently a bill in the General Assembly would have brought more transparency – and accountability – to the process, but it failed to make it out of committee.

TAGS: education, labor, transparency, unions

Illinois school districts pass closed-door budgets, expect taxpayers to fork over more money

By Mailee Smith

06/13/2016

Legislation to make union-contract negotiations more transparent has been repeatedly proposed, but lawmakers continue to opt for secrecy at taxpayers’ expense.

TAGS: education, labor, transparency, unions

School district

Ford Heights ex-mayor charged with stealing $150K from village

East Moline taxpayers could find savings through school district consolidation

Taxpayer victory: General Assembly passes bill restricting golden parachutes for government officials

Senate passes bill restricting ‘golden parachutes’ for government officials

Committee passes Senate bill taking aim at ‘golden parachute’ severance payouts

Senate bill aims to deflate ‘golden parachute’ payouts for public officials

River Forest District 90 will pay 100 percent of teacher pension contributions

While politicians posture, Illinois industry is getting crushed

Taxpayers deserve say in the teachers’ union contracts they pay for

Illinois school districts pass closed-door budgets, expect taxpayers to fork over more money

Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

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