Springfield

Illinois politicians weaken local control

By Paul Kersey
04/08/2014
About three weeks ago, we sounded a warning about House Bill 5485, which would allow arbitrators to set minimum staffing levels in fire departments throughout Illinois.  Since then, news outlets throughout Illinois have been taking note of this bill, pointing out to readers that it would take Illinois in the wrong direction by making unions...

Quinn, Democrats roll out more tax-and-spend legislative initiatives

By Jane McEnaney
03/29/2014
Just hours after the 2014 gubernatorial primary results were made final, Gov. Pat Quinn and his allies launched a series of class warfare attack ads, which were aimed at playing politics rather than implementing good policy. His administration took no time following suit, unleashing a series of legislative initiatives that, if enacted, would have a...

Why the State Journal-Register is wrong about city pensions

03/06/2014
The State Journal Register’s recent editorial critiquing the Illinois Policy Institute’s study, The crisis hits home: Illinois’ local pension problem, was disappointing on many fronts. The city of Springfield performed dismally in the Institute’s statewide audit, which measured ten different metrics to arrive at a comprehensive picture of a city’s fiscal health. Springfield scored worst among the state’s...

U.S. falls from top 10 on Index of Economic Freedom

By Michael Lucci
01/20/2014
What’s making it harder for Illinois parents to save for a child’s college education, and for working moms to take that next step in their careers? What’s driven a record 91.8 million Americans to give up and no longer look for work? Reduced economic freedom. Economic freedom has powerful effects. It not only drives job...

Government affairs gearing up for 2014

By Matt Paprocki
12/31/2013
With 2014 just around the corner, the Illinois Policy Institute’s government affairs department has much to look forward to, including a new legislative arm, an aggressive legislative agenda and even more talented staff. The Institute announces its launch of Illinois Policy Action. In December, Illinois Policy Institute CEO John Tillman released the following statement: “Illinois Policy Action...

How ObamaCare will affect premiums for Springfield residents

By Jonathan Ingram
09/30/2013
Oct. 1 marks the first day of ObamaCare’s open enrollment period. Despite the fact that consumers are expected to start buying plans tomorrow, the state and federal government have been tight-lipped about what will be available on the ObamaCare health insurance exchange. The federal government has begun trickling out bits and pieces about the plans, but...

TAGS: ACA: Affordable Care Act, health insurance

Copper-plated doors tip of iceberg in wasteful spending

By Brian Costin
09/14/2013
With unpaid bills exceeding $8 billion, long-term debt surpassing $200 billion and the worst credit rating in the nation, revelations that the “broke” state of Illinois spent $670,000 on copper-plated doors and another$500,000 for chandeliers and sculptures for the Capitol in Springfield is an embarrassment for the entire state. Earning bad press and the scorn of angry taxpayers still reeling from the 2011 income...

Credit union offers interest-free loans to Illinois lawmakers during pay freeze

By Hilary Gowins
08/04/2013
Illinois lawmakers stopped getting paid on Thursday. So did Gov. Pat Quinn, who on July 10 used his line-item veto power to halt lawmaker pay until the General Assembly reaches an agreement on pension reform. But a Rantoul-based credit union has come to their aid, offering interest-free loans to state legislators. According to the State Journal-Register,...

Moody’s: Illinois 2011 unfunded liability jumps by 65 percent

By Chris Andriesen
06/28/2013
by Ted Dabrowski and John Klingner Moody’s Investors Service reported that Illinois’ true unfunded pension liability in fiscal year 2011 was nearly 65% higher than the state’s official estimate. In its report titled “Adjusted Pension Liability Medians for U.S. States,” Moody’s calculated the unfunded liabilities for Illinois’ three largest state-run pension plans at $133 billion, compared...

Illinois’ 102 county online transparency audit

By Brian Costin
06/27/2013
One of the best protections against corruption is transparency, and in today’s digital age one of the easiest ways for government to be open and accountable is through posting public documents on the Internet. Unfortunately, most Illinois counties need to dramatically improve when it comes to online transparency. The Illinois Policy Institute recently audited all...
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Chicago Forward 2026: A pro-growth plan to end city budget deficits

Chicago’s $1.15 billion projected budget gap is the latest in a decades-long string of structural deficits. Making Chicago’s high taxes worse is not the solution.

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Diana Graham

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

By Paul Kersey
06/19/2014

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

By Ted Dabrowski
05/02/2016