Former Illinois Senate president returns to lobby for utility on energy bill

By Brad Weisenstein

06/09/2021

The former president of the Illinois Senate is now a lobbyist for a power utility. Illinois needs stronger rules on when their peers can return to sway state lawmakers.

TAGS: John Cullerton, lobbying, revolving door

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

Sandoval resigns Senate seat amid federal corruption probe, effective Jan. 1

By Vincent Caruso

11/27/2019

The once-powerful state officeholder previously resigned as chairman of the influential Illinois Senate Transportation Committee in October.

TAGS: FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, gas tax, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Senate, JB Pritzker, John Cullerton, Martin Sandoval, McCook, Mike Madigan, red light cameras, SafeSpeed, Senate Transportation Committee, Springfield, Tom Cullerton, transportation

Senate President John Cullerton set to collect $2M pension

By Austin Berg

11/27/2019

Due to a pension sweetener available only to veteran Illinois lawmakers, Cullerton’s annual pension will soon be more than he ever made from his Statehouse salary.

TAGS: Chicago, Emil Jones, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois Senate, John Cullerton, Mike Madigan, SERS: State Employee Retirement System, Springfield, tax hikes, teacher salaries, TRS: Teachers’ Retirement System

Senate President John Cullerton announces retirement amid sweeping Illinois corruption probe

By Austin Berg

11/14/2019

Cullerton and House Speaker Mike Madigan have held office in the Illinois General Assembly for nearly 90 years combined.

TAGS: corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal, GARS: General Assembly Retirement System, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois House of Representatives, Illinois Senate, investigation, John Cullerton, pension spiking, pensions, Springfield

Illinois Senate president backs bill merging police, fire pension funds

By Brad Weisenstein

11/08/2019

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton is championing a bill to merge more than 640 local police and fire pension funds into two investment pools. With lawmakers returning to Springfield for veto session, action on the bill may be near.

TAGS: consolidation, John Cullerton, municipal pensions, pension guarantee, pensions

Architect of Illinois gas tax hike resigns committee chairmanship amid federal probe

By Vincent Caruso

10/11/2019

State Sen. Martin Sandoval has resigned as chairman of the powerful Illinois Senate Transportation Committee, weeks after federal authorities raided Sandoval’s home and offices as part of an ongoing corruption probe.

TAGS: capital bill, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, gas tax, JB Pritzker, John Cullerton, Lyons, Martin Sandoval, McCook, Mike Madigan, red light cameras, SafeSpeed

Was corruption at the heart of Illinois’ gas tax hike?

By Austin Berg

09/26/2019

The target, state Sen. Martin Sandoval, D-Chicago, is as clouted as they come.

TAGS: corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, JB Pritzker, John Cullerton, Lori Lightfoot, Martin Sandoval, Mike Madigan

Illinois state lawmakers introduce, pass $85 billion in spending in 12 hours

By Austin Berg

06/01/2019

A new governor and Democratic supermajorities have retained the same chaotic budgeting process that has brought the state’s credit rating to near-junk status.

TAGS: balanced budget requirement, budget, capital project, gas tax, Greg Harris, JB Pritzker, John Cullerton, Mike Madigan

DuPage County voters brake hard on per-mile driving tax

By Vincent Caruso

11/15/2018

Voters in DuPage County strongly oppose a per-mile driving tax – a measure Gov.-elect J.B. Pritzker has floated in the past.

TAGS: DuPage County, John Cullerton, taxes, VMT: vehicle miles traveled

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