Opinions
Illinois bill would criminalize routine discipline as 'parental bullying'
While the bill likely will go nowhere, it’s unfathomable that it could even be proposed: In the relevant part, a bill now pending in the Illinois legislature would criminalize, as “parental bullying,” any parent who knowingly, with intent to discipline or alter the behavior of a child, says or messages anything that would coerce the child.
Pritzker's contemptuous answer to a reasonable question on judicial recusal
Should judges who received a million dollars each from Gov. JB Pritzker for their campaigns recuse themselves from decisions on the constitutionality of two of his pet pieces of legislation — the SAFE-T Act and the assault weapons ban?
Illinois forward 2024: A sustainable state budget plan
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois’ financial health was the worst in the nation. An unprecedented influx of federal stimulus and bailouts, combined with stronger-than-expected rebounds in tax revenues, saved Illinois from financial ruin. If state lawmakers do not take advantage of this incredibly rare opportunity and pursue structural financial reforms, then state finances will return to their pre-pandemic status quo.
Illinois Labor Board says government unions cannot discriminate against nonmembers
Illinois government unions wrote the law that gives them a monopoly over all government employees in a unionized workplace. And that means they can’t discriminate against workers who choose not to be members.
Chicago's progressive agenda has been destructive for black communities
Politico says the Chicago mayor’s race highlights the importance of the “progressive” agenda for Chicago and the focus will be on crime. There are grumbles that incumbent Mayor Lori Lightfoot isn’t “progressive” enough. But the urban progressive agenda under her – with its emphasis on “social justice,” managed outcomes, and performative politics – has hardened the city’s horrible results for blacks around crime and K-12 public education.
Lawsuit Abuse Awareness Week gives Illinois a much-needed wakeup call
As our state grapples with economic stagflation with no foreseeable end in sight, fighting lawsuit abuse committed by self-interest trial lawyers would be one of the best ways to give Illinois the jumpstart we need to grow our prosperity.
Students smack down Chicago 'Disinformation' Conference panelists, exposing far more than apparent about media
Traditional media beclowned itself last week at a Chicago conference on “disinformation.” That’s a story in itself, but the bigger story is how they covered up even that story, peddling disinformation about a conference on disinformation. The guilty include Illinois media, which is further guilty of still suppressing the Hunter Biden laptop story that is part of what sparked the fireworks at the conference.
Vaccine registry proposal is tops in totalitarianism
Just when you think Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly could not possibly come up with anything more totalitarian than canceling elections in places where opposition to their regime is growing, a member of the super majority came up with one.
Illinois pension shortfall surpasses $500 billion, average debt burden now $110,000 per household
Illinois just reached an alarming milestone: each Illinois household is now on the hook for, on average, $110,000 in government-worker retirement debts. That figure is the result of dividing Illinois’ $530 billion in state and local retirement shortfalls among the state’s 4.9 million households. In 2019, the burden was $90,000 per household.
Illinois bill would give ISBE authority to revoke schools' state recognition
Gov. J.B Pritzker has warned district administrators since early August that ISBE would strip state recognition from Illinois schools defying his statewide mask mandate. House Bill 4135 aims to give the state board of education that power.
Left out of lawmakers' green energy package? Ordinary Illinoisans
The Illinois Senate adjourned last week without calling for a vote on the state’s controversial green energy proposal.
Illinois is under 'extreme' threat of drawing another Madigan election map
Illinois is listed as one of the states under ‘extreme’ danger of partisan gerrymandering of its state legislative and congressional redistricting maps. Gov. J.B. Pritzker can stop that threat.
You’ve been canceled!
Nowadays, it’s not just actors, writers, and producers on TV show that have to worry about being canceled. It can happen to anyone at any time for any reason, and going back five years in time and starting over isn’t an option.
Pritzker's pattern of lies
Voters rejected Gov. Pritzker’s Tax Hike Amendment because they didn’t trust him or the rest of the politicians in Springfield with more power and more of their tax dollars.
Shut up and pay your taxes, Illinoisans
“The state must pare back its portfolio so that it can better fulfill its basic obligations to its citizens,” opined Nicole Kurokawa in the 2010 Illinois Piglet Book, a joint project of the Illinois Policy Institute and Citizens Against Government Waste that identified more than $350 million in wasteful spending.
Survey: Illinois state, local taxes are highest in nation
Illinois households pay nearly $9,500 on average in state and local taxes, which at 15% of their income is the nation’s highest. WalletHub finds gasoline taxes pushed Illinois to No. 1.
Moody's report: Illinois pension debt reaches record high $317 billion
Illinois worst-in-the-nation public pension debt grew 19% year over year. It will continue hurting the state economy and job growth, driving more people out of Illinois, unless there are reforms.
Gov. Pritzker turns his back on law and order
Mike Madigan is officially out as Speaker of the House, State Representative for the 22nd District in Chicago, and after nominating his handpicked successor over the weekend, he stepped down as the powerful Chairman of the State Democratic Party.
Let’s not let this crisis go to waste
If anything good can be said about the COVID crisis, it may be that it has forced many of us to consider alternatives to the way we were living our lives, most especially with regard to how we do our jobs and how we educate our children.
Illinois lawmakers hand Pritzker another tax loss, pass Chicago pension hike
Lame duck session was busy even when House Democrats weren’t focused on replacing Mike Madigan as speaker. Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s small business tax hike died as 23 bills were passed, including one making Chicago’s pension woes worse.