Illinois police serve search warrant at Madigan’s Springfield office, looking for evidence of sexual assault, battery by former state lawmaker

By Austin Berg

02/01/2020

State police executed the search warrant in an attempt to find evidence of criminal behavior by former Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks.

TAGS: corruption, fair maps, fair tax, graduated income tax, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois House of Representatives, illinois state police, independent maps, investigation, Jack Franks, JB Pritzker, legislative map, Mike Madigan, progressive income tax, redistricting, rules committee, search warrant, sexual harrassment, Springfield, State of the State

Bill would stop Pritzker from paying state workers on the side

By Brad Weisenstein

01/12/2020

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has used his private fortune to pay $3 million in state expenses, including boosting salaries of 16 top staffers. Some lawmakers want the ‘unethical’ practice to stop.

TAGS: bipartisan, conflict of interest, corruption, fair maps, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Constitution, independent maps, JB Pritzker, lawmaker pay, lawmakers, Legislative Inspector General, legislative map, lobbying, revolving door, Smart Scale, Springfield, watchdog

FBI asking about Madigan money, political clout in corruption investigation

By Austin Berg

12/06/2019

There is little doubt the FBI is targeting the longtime House speaker and Democratic political boss in their sweeping investigation of Illinois corruption.

TAGS: ComEd, Commonwealth Edison, corruption, Democratic Party, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, gerrymandering, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, independent maps, lawmakers, Mike Madigan, revolving door, rules committee, Springfield, watchdog

To end gerrymandering, Pritzker should push redistricting reform

By Joe Tabor

04/23/2019

Illinois’ governor pledged to veto any map gerrymandered by state lawmakers, but it’s the process of mapmaking that needs to change.

TAGS: fair maps, independent maps, JB Pritzker, Mike Madigan, redistricting

U.S. Supreme Court agrees to take up Wisconsin gerrymandering case

By Marianna Schmiesing

08/03/2017

Illinois’ election districts heavily dilute suburban vote.

TAGS: election, fair maps, gerrymandering, independent maps, U.S. Supreme Court, Wisconsin

Group that blocked independent redistricting reform contributed $6.6M to Madigan-controlled political organizations

By Eric Kohn

11/02/2016

Since 1994, members of The People’s Map — which sued to keep a legislative map reform amendment off Illinois’ November ballot — and their employers have given over $6.6 million to Friends of Michael J. Madigan, the Democratic Majority and the Democratic Party of Illinois, which House Speaker Mike Madigan chairs.

TAGS: fair maps, gerrymandering, independent maps, Mike Madigan

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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Martin Sahagun

Process for unionizing non-state workers raises red flags

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