By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square contributor
A new Commonwealth Foundation report reveals the four largest government unions spent $27.9 million on Illinois politics from 2021-2022. That’s more money than any other state.
Report co-author Dave Osborne said governments are increasingly led by politicians who care more about union executives than union members or taxpayers.
The report looked at the top 10 politicians who received the most public union PAC money.
“I hate to tell you this, but four of those top 10 do come from Illinois. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch, Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Kay O’Brien,” Osborne said. “Both Harmon and O’Brien received nearly a million dollars from union PACs.”
Government unions accounted for more than 80% of Johnson’s campaign funds.
Welch, D-Hillside, received $1.25 million in government union PAC money. Welch recently let an Illinois school-choice program for 9,600 low-income children expire. The Invest in Kids Act was opposed by the Illinois Education Association and other public school teachers’ unions.
“One of the reasons that we focused on public sector unions was that public sector unions have the power of government to basically collect union dues and PAC money and then spin that to get politicians elected that will be more favorable to them at the bargaining table,” Osborne said.
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