This edition of The Policy Shop comes to you from policy adviser Paul Vallas and writer Patrick Andriesen. Happy Wednesday. Today we’ll be looking at gun violence in Chicago and the spike in youth crime, trying to understand what’s really going on. Chicago’s gun problem. Shootings in Chicago in 2022 were up by nearly one-third compared...
The new report published by Headset found Illinoisans are paying 89% more for the average cannabis item than the rest of the nation. Researchers attribute the high prices to stifled competition.
Chicago is one of the nation's greatest cities, but it has challenges. An outline of four of the most significant problems.
Former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s former chief of staff and confidant was found guilty of perjury. His conviction is a reminder Springfield has a long way to go on ethics reform.
Charter schools give low-income and minority students a better shot at success. So why is the Chicago Teachers Union trying to hurt charter schools’ better academic performance at lower cost?
Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to ousted Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, was convicted on perjury and obstruction of justice charges.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has reportedly compromised on his proposed mansion tax in favor of a graduated real estate tax. What needs to happen before he can start collecting the extra taxes?
Nearly 83% of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s funding has been from unions, according to data obtained from Illinois Sunshine. More than half of that came from teachers unions. Here are three ways we could see him pay them back.
This edition of The Policy Shop was written by Bryce Hill, director of fiscal and economic research. It’s a good month to be a state worker in Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has awarded the largest ever American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) contract, which includes 19% pay raises and a $1,200 signing bonus for...
If the slow start of the Johnson administration is any indication, Chicagoans could be looking at four years without any meaningful government reform.
Five Midwest states have enacted or expanded school choice programs since the Invest in Kids Act was enacted in 2017. Now Illinois’ scholarships are set to expire while other programs thrive.
Chicago Public Schools students return to class Aug. 21. Take a look at the state of district proficiency, building utilization, enrollment, student-teacher ratios, absenteeism and finances.
The city of Chicago faces a pension crisis, heightened crime and a failing public school system. New Mayor Brandon Johnson has taken no concrete steps to deal with any of it.