Indicted Chicago alderman too ill to stand trial, OK to cast council votes

By Patrick Andriesen

11/15/2022

Chicago’s second-longest serving alderman is seeking a stay of prosecution on federal bribery charges, arguing she is “not medically fit to stand trial.” The plea comes eight days after Ald. Carrie Austin voted on the council floor to approve the city budget.

TAGS: Chicago City Council, corruption

Annual salary for Chicago aldermen rises to $143,000 a year

By Dylan Sharkey

09/06/2022

Chicago aldermen had until Sept. 2 to reject a roughly 10% pay raise for next year. The highest-earning council members will make $142,772 starting Jan. 1, 2023 – more than double the city’s median household income.

TAGS: Chicago City Council

Chicago alderman from Daley family implicated in bank embezzlement

By Patrick Andriesen

01/19/2022

Chicago Ald. Patrick Daley Thompson was implicated in the plea agreement of a former bank employee who federal prosecutors said played a critical role in the embezzlement scheme. She said millions in theft was covered up before the bank failed.

TAGS: Chicago City Council, corruption, embezzlement, Patrick Daley Thompson

Secret footage of Chicago alderman detailed in corruption probe

By Patrick Andriesen

01/18/2022

Chicago Ald. Edward Burke was secretly videotaped in City Hall by federal authorities as part of the corruption probe into Illinois politics. Burke reportedly confided in an informant how they would avoid being caught.

TAGS: Chicago City Council, corruption, Ed Burke

Chicago may soon allow in-law flats, coach houses for first time since 1957

By Robert Brutvan

05/26/2020

Chicago introduces an ordinance to remove restrictions on accessory dwelling units, paving the way to encourage entrepreneurship and further combat the city’s affordable housing crisis

TAGS: Chicago City Council, regulations, zoning

Illinois lawmakers operate under honor system on conflicts of interest

By Joe Tabor

02/10/2020

Prairie State politicians are allowed to determine when they have a conflict of interest, and whether they should recuse themselves from voting or disclose a conflict. HB 4041 would change that.

TAGS: bribery, Carol Ammons, Chicago, Chicago City Council, conflict of interest, corruption, crime, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Luis Arroyo, Mike Madigan, Springfield

Food truck, mobile boutique regulations loosened by Chicago City Council

01/22/2020

The new ordinance backed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot allows food trucks and other mobile entrepreneurs to operate with more freedom on city streets.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, cronyism, entrepreneurs, food trucks, licensing, Lori Lightfoot, regulations

Chicago alderman proposes tax on childbirth

By Vincent Caruso

01/10/2020

Amid Illinois’ population decline, Ald. Ray Lopez proposed taxing conception and licensing childbirth.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, childbirth license, China, Communist China, conception fee, Ray Lopez

Lightfoot pushes Chicago city council to loosen food truck restrictions

01/07/2020

Mayor Lori Lightfoot is sponsoring a city ordinance allowing food trucks and other mobile entrepreneurs to operate with more freedom on Chicago’s streets.

TAGS: Chicago, Chicago City Council, entrepreneurs, food trucks, Lori Lightfoot

Chicago City Council votes to ban lobbying by elected leaders

12/20/2019

Chicago’s second round of anti-corruption rules restricts aldermen and city employees from working as lobbyists and stops other elected leaders from lobbying city government for private clients.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, Chicago City Council, ComEd, corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, John Cullerton, Larry Suffredin, lawmakers, lobbying, Lori Lightfoot, Luis Arroyo, Michael Zalewski, Michele Smith, Mike Madigan, ordinance, Springfield, Terry Link

Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

Illinois finds itself at a crossroads: will it empower minorities and poor people to unleash their potential, or will it perpetuate an inequitable status quo? For far too many Illinoisans, opportunity is unfairly and unnecessarily out of reach. Illinois ranks in the bottom ten among all states in social mobility and last among Midwest states...

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Unlocking Opportunity: How Occupational Licensing Reform Would Promote Equitable Empowerment in Illinois

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Brandi Lentz

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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