Banning credit checks won’t help Illinois’ poor get housing

By LyLena Estabine

04/10/2025

Illinois state lawmakers are trying to ban landlords from using credit histories to judge potential tenants. Doing so could make it harder for low-income tenants to find housing.

TAGS: affordable housing, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly

Testimony: ‘Homeschool Act’ is unconstitutional government intrusion into families’ privacy

By Mailee Smith

03/18/2025

As Illinois House members consider regulating homeschools and private schools, Illinois Policy and parents across Illinois have registered their opposition to government intrusion into constitutionally protected rights.

TAGS: homeschool, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, private schools

Illinois might cap ticket resale prices, fees

By Dylan Sharkey

03/14/2025

Illinois lawmakers are considering new rules for buying and selling tickets to sporting events and concerts, including a cap on resale prices and fees.

TAGS: ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, regulations

Illinois again considers taxing drivers per mile

By Dylan Sharkey

03/14/2025

There’s another push in Springfield to tax motorists by the mile. Illinoisans already pay the second-highest gas taxes in the nation behind only California.

TAGS: ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, taxes, VMT: vehicle miles traveled

Digital licenses, shampoo bottles, $15 wage: Illinois’ new laws for 2025

By Dylan Sharkey

01/01/2025

New Years’ Day means hundreds of new laws on the books, including one allowing residents to get a digital version of their driver’s license.

TAGS: ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, pensions, property taxes

‘Millionaire tax’ being backed by Illinois voters

By Patrick Andriesen

11/05/2024

The “millionaire tax” was being OK’d by Illinois voters, with 60.3% voting “yes” on the advisory question about raising taxes on residents earning over $1 million a year to fund property tax relief. The problem is, millionaires would not be the only tax targets.

TAGS: ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, progressive income tax, property taxes

See if your state lawmaker took Chicago Teachers Union money

By Brad Weisenstein

10/28/2024

The Chicago Teachers Union has spent nearly $1.3 million on campaign donations in an effort to influence what happens in the Illinois General Assembly. See if your state lawmakers accepted money from the CTU.

TAGS: Chicago, CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly

Lawmakers consider renewing Invest in Kids scholarships

By Dylan Sharkey

02/19/2024

A new bill would revive a scholarship program that was stripped from 9,600 low-income Illinois students, ending their best chances to attend schools of their choice.

TAGS: ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Invest in Kids, school choice

Illinois bill would give unions platform for indoctrination in Illinois schools

By Mailee Smith

01/15/2024

House Bill 4417 requires an annual “Workplace Readiness Week” in all Illinois high schools, which focuses not on getting kids ready for jobs but on the labor movement’s role in the workplace.

TAGS: education, government unions, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly

Chicago Teachers Union contributions to Illinois General Assembly members

By Mailee Smith, Jon Josko

01/01/2023

Don’t know your local lawmaker? Use our lawmaker lookup tool to find out.

TAGS: CTU: Chicago Teachers Union, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly