Illinois Democrats revive union arbitration legislation that would cut Rauner out of contract negotiations
Illinois Democrats revive union arbitration legislation that would cut Rauner out of contract negotiations
Through House Bill 580, Democrats in the General Assembly take a second run at removing Gov. Bruce Rauner from contract negotiations with AFSCME.
By Hilary Gowins
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice will close Kewanee facility
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice will close Kewanee facility
Closing the Illinois Youth Center in Kewanee, with its $84,000 per-youth annual operating cost, will help save money and redirect resources toward more effective treatment programs for juvenile offenders.
By Bryant Jackson-Green
Illinois corruption watch: January 2016
Illinois corruption watch: January 2016
In January several instances of corruption, influence peddling and mismanagement across Illinois were brought to light, from the College of DuPage’s expense-account mismanagement, to Chicago’s red-light-camera bribery case.
Brian Burkhart
Brian Burkhart
“I’m really proud of this business, but everyone [in Chicago] is looking for a way out. Most startups can do their work effectively almost anywhere. “We’re not rich by any stretch of the imagination. And Chicago just makes it hard for us to grow because we’re spending [money] on stupid stuff. All it means to...
Illinois employers warn of nearly 1,400 layoffs in coming months
Illinois employers warn of nearly 1,400 layoffs in coming months
Employers in Illinois filed notice with the state in January of hundreds of layoffs.
By Austin Berg
Chicagoans paying 50% tax rate on raw price of gas
Chicagoans paying 50% tax rate on raw price of gas
While gas prices have dropped to a 12-year low in Illinois, Chicagoans pay $0.32 more per gallon than the state average due to multiple layers of city, county and state taxation.
By Hilary Gowins
Illinois should issue IDs to ex-offenders upon release from prison
Illinois should issue IDs to ex-offenders upon release from prison
Issuing state IDs to ex-offenders upon release from prison is a simple reform that can help them succeed in finding work and a place to live.
By Bryant Jackson-Green
Chicago City Council passes weakened oversight ordinance at Burke’s bidding
Chicago City Council passes weakened oversight ordinance at Burke’s bidding
Chicago aldermen voted in favor of an ordinance that was changed to shield City Council from the auditing powers of Inspector General Joe Ferguson.
By Austin Berg
Bipartisan majority of Illinois voters support criminal-justice reform, study shows
Bipartisan majority of Illinois voters support criminal-justice reform, study shows
New polling shows large majorities of Illinois Republican and Democratic voters think the state’s criminal-justice system needs a major overhaul.
By Bryant Jackson-Green
Chicago’s new cigarette tax will lead to more black-market sales and violence, alderman say
Chicago’s new cigarette tax will lead to more black-market sales and violence, alderman say
South and West Side aldermen believe that an increase in the tobacco tax will lead to an increase in black-market sales and violence. They're right.
By Chris Lentino
Total student-loan debt in Illinois is approaching $50 billion
Total student-loan debt in Illinois is approaching $50 billion
More than 1.7 million Illinoisans hold student-loan debt.
By Ted Dabrowski
New congestion-alleviating proposal from Springfield would add extra lanes, accessible via toll
New congestion-alleviating proposal from Springfield would add extra lanes, accessible via toll
Under one proposal for I-55, tolls in new lanes would increase at peak congestion times, giving drivers an incentive to stay off the road, and allowing the highway to operate at higher capacity and traffic to move faster.
By Mark Adams
Susan Trieschmann
Susan Trieschmann
“… After I sold my catering business I was going to meetings with young offenders here in Evanston. At every single meeting I heard kids say they wouldn’t have done what they did if they had a job. And I was sick of hearing that story over and over again without having anywhere to send...