Chicago Teachers Union spends $17M on Illinois political campaigns
Chicago Teachers Union spends $17M on Illinois political campaigns
The Chicago Teachers Union has funneled more than $17 million to Illinois political committees since 2010, when the militant Caucus of Rank and File Educators took over leadership. Now, one of their employees is running for Chicago mayor.
By Mailee Smith, Jon Josko
Chicago Teachers Union’s mayoral candidate wants ‘suburbs tax’ on ‘the rich’
Chicago Teachers Union’s mayoral candidate wants ‘suburbs tax’ on ‘the rich’
Chicago Teachers Union lobbyist and mayoral candidate Brandon Johnson unveiled his ‘tax-the-rich’ revenue plan, including $800 million in new taxes on suburbanites and those who come to the city to work or play.
By Patrick Andriesen
School Choice Week a reminder why Illinois families love the Invest in Kids Act
School Choice Week a reminder why Illinois families love the Invest in Kids Act
Thousands of parents, educators and organizations across the country renewed calls this week to expand school choice and give more options for students’ educations. But in Illinois, the state’s only school choice program is nearing its end.
By Patrick Andriesen
High-tax Illinois loses people, low-tax states gain in 2022
High-tax Illinois loses people, low-tax states gain in 2022
Low-tax states attract the majority of movers, while high-tax states push them away. Illinois takes nearly 13% of all money made in the state as taxes, and lost 141,656 residents in 2022.
By Justin Carlson
Pritzker fact check: Illinoisans pay 4th-highest college tuition in nation
Pritzker fact check: Illinoisans pay 4th-highest college tuition in nation
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is making free college a priority in his second term. Tuition is driven up by pension costs, which Pritzker routinely ignores.
By Dylan Sharkey
Illinois union membership shrinks by 17,000 in 2022
Illinois union membership shrinks by 17,000 in 2022
The drop in union membership for Illinois workers follows a 33-year downward trend, moving from more than 1-in-5 workers being in a union, to nearly 1-in-8.
By Mailee Smith
Cathy Stuehmeier
Cathy Stuehmeier
“I’m preparing to retire now. I own newspapers. I’ve spent about 57 years in media. I started with the Centralia Sentinel, which was a daily local newspaper. I spent seven or eight years with the Sentinel and learned a lot from the past ownership.” “I was one of the first females to walk into the...
Flashback: What Illinois lawmaker’s progressive tax plan looked like 5 years ago
Flashback: What Illinois lawmaker’s progressive tax plan looked like 5 years ago
Here's what the progressive tax looked like nearly five years ago when state lawmakers were pushing a plan to tax Illinoisans $3.6 billion more, starting with those making $17,300.
By Bryce Hill
4 steps to rid Illinois Statehouse of Madigan’s corrupt legacy
4 steps to rid Illinois Statehouse of Madigan’s corrupt legacy
Now that the 103rd Illinois General Assembly is sworn in, an early order of business will be to establish the rules of the chambers. Those rules need more reform to ensure another Mike Madigan doesn’t gather too much power.
By Joe Tabor