United States Senate

Sen. Syverson Signs Tax Pledge at Rockford Turnaround Tour Stop

10/01/2010
On September 30th the Illinois Turnaround Tour made a stop in Rockford. Over 50 people packed the Wallingford Center at the Best Western Clock Tower Resort to hear about the Illinois Turnaround Plan of lower taxes; responsible spending; transparent, accountable government; and a business friendly environment that empowers entrepreneurs, investors and workers. John Tillman, CEO...

Leader Radogno Slams AFSCME Deal

09/23/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen Here’s Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno’s take on the AFSCME deal: “This is wrong on so many counts that it is hard to know where to begin. At a minimum, there is the appearance that the Governor traded a favorable contract for the union endorsement. It was clearly wrong to take the state’s lead...

Citing liability costs, Tom Coburn says he has stopped delivering babies.

09/22/2010
by Kristina Rasmussen You may have heard that the Institute is expecting somewhat of a baby boom in coming months. Clearly we didn’t get the “record low birthrate” memo. So it is with sadness that we note Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) — a known friend of the taxpayer and physician — has stopped delivering babies because of liability costs....

What Karl Rove Should Have Said

09/16/2010
by John Tillman Tuesday night, I happened to be watching live when Karl Rove fulminated on the Christine O’Donnell win in the Delaware GOP Senate primary.  You can see the full video here but I’ve provided a transcript (from Fox News) of some of the key passages below.  Among the things Rove said: “This is the inexplicable (emphasis added)...

Fixed Race To The Top?

08/27/2010
by Collin Hitt Illinois lost a very-high-stakes federal grant competition. The “Race To The Top” program has gathered headlines across the country for the better part of a year.  It wrapped up earlier this week, with 12 states and the District of Columbia splitting $4B in stimulus largesse to fund public education. Ostensibly, the grant...

Another Term Befuddled: Financial Reform

07/07/2010
by Ashley Muchow Considering the current financial woes affecting Illinois’s economy, coming to you with more bleak news isn’t fun.  Onward.  Congress has before it the Financial Reform Bill; a reform bill intended to overhaul the financial system as we know it.  But before you begin thanking Washington for coming to the rescue; for protecting...

Keeping up with the Borrowing Fad

06/23/2010
by Ashley Muchow Eastern Illinois University will borrow up to $7 million to cover university expenses up to August as it eagerly anticipates $19 million in overdue state appropriations.  Early this month Governor Quinn signed into law an amendment to Senate Bill 0642 allowing Illinois’s nine public universities to take out loans to cover three quarters of what the...

Hey, Big Spender!

06/16/2010
BillTally provides a window into the cumulative costs or savings present in bills sponsored by Members of Congress.
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Pathway to a Profession: How Apprenticeships Could Reshape Illinois’ Beauty Service Industry

Occupational licensing requirements present one of the steepest barriers to low-income Illinoisans starting careers in beauty services. Illinois requires anyone seeking to become a barber, cosmetologist, nail technician or hair braider to obtain a state license, essentially a permission slip to work. Unlike 45 other states, Illinois offers only one pathway to licensure for each...

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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