Cook County board president proposes tax on sugary drinks
Cook County board president proposes tax on sugary drinks
Implementing a taxpayer bill of rights could prevent Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle from increasing the county’s already-high tax burden.
Chicago Teachers Union authorizes strike
Chicago Teachers Union authorizes strike
Many educators are wary of a strike’s hardships and long-term consequences for students, their families and the educators themselves. These teachers can remove themselves from CTU authority and the conflict between union priorities and students’ needs.
By Mailee Smith
Teachers who oppose CTU strike can opt out of union
Teachers who oppose CTU strike can opt out of union
Resigning from the union before the potential upcoming strike can protect teachers from union discipline.
By Mailee Smith
Why Illinoisans leave for Indiana: Elkhart, Ind., has 20,000 more jobs than workers
Why Illinoisans leave for Indiana: Elkhart, Ind., has 20,000 more jobs than workers
Policy reforms in Indiana have led to significant jobs growth, but lawmakers in the Land of Lincoln haven’t taken note.
By Michael Lucci
Which Illinois county is most likely to lock you up?
Which Illinois county is most likely to lock you up?
Research shows Hardin, Macon and Marion Counties lead the state in prison admissions per 10,000 residents.
By Bryant Jackson-Green
Amid political darkness, a bright spot in criminal justice reform
Amid political darkness, a bright spot in criminal justice reform
Pete Leonard has employed 35 ex-offenders since 2009 at Second Chance Coffee Company in Wheaton.
By Austin Berg
Injured Illinois workers take 50 percent more time off than peers in surrounding states
Injured Illinois workers take 50 percent more time off than peers in surrounding states
Illinois law gives financial incentives to many injured workers to stay off the job and to doctors to prescribe more medications to workers’ compensation patients.
By Michael Lucci
August jobs report: Worst manufacturing month since Great Recession, unemployment falls due to workforce dropout
August jobs report: Worst manufacturing month since Great Recession, unemployment falls due to workforce dropout
The August BLS jobs report shows Illinois is down 8,000 manufacturing jobs on the year, giving the state the worst manufacturing job losses in the region, and a summer workforce contraction totaling 100,000 people.
By Michael Lucci
Illinois counties, cities should have the right to dissolve townships
Illinois counties, cities should have the right to dissolve townships
Some steps have been taken to dissolve unnecessary units of governments, but taxpayers need an easier path to eliminate wasteful governmental bodies.
Michigan vs. Illinois: Manufacturing and out-migration
Michigan vs. Illinois: Manufacturing and out-migration
Years of job-killing policies in Illinois have pushed residents out of the state, while nearby Michigan has taken an alternate, pro-growth approach to turn it around.
By Michael Lucci
Chicago State University president resigns with $600,000 in severance pay
Chicago State University president resigns with $600,000 in severance pay
The outgoing CSU president’s exorbitant severance package highlights the need to rein in Illinois universities’ high administrative costs.
Government jobs surpass manufacturing jobs by 175,000 in Illinois
Government jobs surpass manufacturing jobs by 175,000 in Illinois
Illinois stands out in the industrial Midwest for its skewed government-to-manufacturing-jobs ratio.
By Michael Lucci