This post originally appeared at CNN.com Shortly after President Obama took his historic oath of office, a small group of people back in his home state of Illinois gathered to negotiate a key issue of school reform. Before substantive discussions even began, a representative from the Chicago Teachers Union interjected: “For us,” she said, “this is...

WI judge rules Gov. Walker's collective bargaining reforms violate state and U.S. Constitution

Judge Colas

On Labor Day, the Chicago Teachers Union held its protest in preparation for a strike that is set to begin on Sept. 10, unless negotiations with Chicago Public Schools result in a contract.The protest served two functions: first, as a sort of threat display designed to demonstrate to CPS officials and Mayor Rahm Emanuel that...

The spectacle of government union members booing the best friend they ever had off the stage Wednesday at the Illinois State Fair made for entertaining video. Gov. Quinn may not have liked the boos, but he certainly understands his starring role in this fiction of a drama. Here’s the truth: the pension proposals under consideration in Springfield...

Read John Kass's column about Illinois's own budget problems, featuring the Institute's John Tillman.

The more one looks at Gov. Scott Walker

As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker emerges victorious from a union-backed recall campaign, it is time to step back and look at the larger picture.