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Editorial: What do Democratic socialists want? We took a look at their platform.

Posted in Chicago Tribune, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, OP/Ed, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Public Safety, Real Estate, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on July 31, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Democratic candidates Juliana Stratton and Maria Peterson | Photo courtesy Maria Peterson’s Facebook page

By The Editorial Board | Chicago Tribune

Who doesn’t love a good wish list? Come dream with us right here.

First step, we abolish capitalism. Without that most ultimate of evils? No more bills. No more debt. We’re all carefree now.

That’s the basic premise of the Democratic Socialists of America’s vision. If you haven’t looked at the platform lately, we offer you the following condensed version.

In addition to abolishing capitalism (step one), the DSA proposes eliminating the Senate and the Electoral College, subordinating the presidency and Supreme Court to Congress, and placing major industries under public ownership.

Housing, health care and energy all become public goods.

Oh, and we don’t need defense or public safety, so we can defund the Pentagon and get rid of prisons. The lamb will live among the wolves and will not be bitten.

While it’s tempting to dismiss all of the above as fringe politics, that might be a dangerously cavalier approach for sensible Democrats. The DSA’s influence has grown inside the Democratic Party, and both Chicago and New York, no small burgs, are governed by mayors who openly identify with the movement.

Editorial continues here.

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Thanks to gerrymandering, over 90% of recently passed bills in Illinois were sponsored by one party


Posted in Commodius Maximus, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Elections, Illinois Policy Institute, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Unions on July 31, 2026| 1 Comment »

Partisan politics is a big player in the Illinois Capitol. The state needs real redistricting reform to increase competition, expand representation and strengthen accountability.

By Lilly Rossi | Illinois Policy Institute

Over 90% of the bills that passed both chambers in the second regular session of the 104th Illinois General Assembly were sponsored by Democrats, reflecting one-party dominance created by partisan gerrymandering.

In that second session, nearly 3,100 bills were filed. Almost 400 passed both chambers — with only 34 of those introduced by Republicans. That’s fewer than 10% of the bills sent to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

Why does that matter? The Illinois Democratic supermajority is freezing out its Republican peers via partisan gerrymandering of legislative districts.

Many Republican bills die before even being heard.

All bills filed in the General Assembly go to the House Rules Committee or Senate Assignments Committee before being referred to an appropriate subject committee. In practice, the rules and assignment committees are often where bills go to die.

This is particularly true for bills introduced by Republican lawmakers. Nearly half of Republican-sponsored bills in the 2026 regular session were never referred to a subject committee, compared with 15% of Democrat-sponsored bills.

Illinois needs real redistricting.

In the 2024 presidential election, about 55% of the Illinois vote went to Democrat Kamala Harris, yet the party holds 66% of the total seats in the General Assembly.

Report continues here.

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Illinois sales taxes near top in U.S.

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Illinois Policy Institute, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Unions on July 29, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Chicago will have one of the highest big-city rates in the country when the transit tax inches up Aug. 1.

By Adam Gorcyca | Illinois Policy Institute

Illinois’ high sales taxes are about to get higher in the Chicago area.

Across Illinois, the combined state and average local sales tax is 8.98%, according to the Tax Foundation. That’s eighth-highest in the U.S. and highest in the Midwest.

The state did end its 1% grocery tax Jan. 1, though more than half the local governments in Illinois have one.

For over a decade Illinois has been one of the nation’s least competitive states in terms of sales tax. The last time Illinois placed outside the top 10 highest sales tax rates was 2013.

Of the states bordering Illinois, Missouri has the highest combined average rate, but it’s still over a half a percentage point lower than Illinois’.

Wisconsin in particular stands out in comparison with Illinois, with a combined average rate of 5.72%, and Kentucky is not far behind, at 6%.

Article continues here.

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IL can’t give cheaper college tuition to illegal immigrants, judge rules

Posted in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Immigration, Legal Newsline, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, Unions on July 26, 2026| 2 Comments »

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, flanked by Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, left, and House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, right | Office of the Governor

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal Newsline

EAST ST. LOUIS — Illinois can’t give illegal immigrants special in-state discounts on college tuition or special grants to attend the state’s public colleges and universities, a federal judge has ruled.

On July 24, U.S. District Judge David W. Dugan ruled Illinois Democratic lawmakers and Gov. JB Pritzker violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution by enacting laws specifically designed to allow illegal immigrants to attend Illinois public colleges and universities at the same tuition rate normally reserved for U.S. citizens and legal non-citizens who live in Illinois.

In the ruling, Dugan said the Illinois laws, known as the RISE Act and the Illinois DREAM Act, illegally give illegal immigrants state educational benefits that are not also extended to U.S. citizens who live outside Illinois.

“Put simply, U.S. citizens or nationals must be treated no worse than illegal aliens,” Dugan wrote in the ruling.

Following the decision, Steven D. Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, praised Dugan’s ruling.

“Illinois sought to incentivize illegal immigration on the taxpayer’s dime by treating illegal aliens better than U.S. citizens living in other states, in clear violation of federal law,” said Weinhoeft. “This ruling enforces the statute Congress wrote and stops the State from putting illegal aliens ahead of American citizens.”

The decision marks a big win for Trump administration in their legal campaign to strike down so-called “sanctuary” or “welcoming” laws and policies in Illinois and other states.

Article continues here.

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Sales tax hike to hit Cook, collar counties on Aug. 1

Posted in BOHICA, Commodius Maximus, Cost of Living, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Fat Bastard, Immigration, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Taxes, The Center Square, Unions on July 25, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square

Consumers in six Illinois counties will be soon be paying higher sales taxes.

Transit funding legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker last December provided for the 0.25% increase to take effect on Aug. 1 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

The tax hike is projected to generate $478 million a year as part of the $1.5 billion in annual transit funding provided in Senate Bill 2111.

State Rep. Steven Reick, R-Woodstock, said suburban taxpayers are bailing out the Chicago Transit Authority.

“We’re giving them a lifeline of money that we’re not getting anything in return for,” Reick said.

The Center Square asked Reick if higher taxes might drive people out of the area.

“Here in McHenry County, we’re obviously on the border with Wisconsin. I think people are going to make economic choices to drive up to Walworth, in my case, to buy gas and things like that,” Reick said.

SB 2111 also gave the Illinois Tollway Board the power to raise tolls.

Before the bill passed, state Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said he appreciated the desire for a state-of-the-art mass transit system.

“I don’t know how, though, we justify spending more money than we need after $2 billion of tax increases in the last few years,” Ugaste said.

Report continues here.

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D300 wants tax hike to fund $355M in school improvements, new training center

Posted in 300, Chicago Tribune, County, Elections, Look For The Union Label, McHenry, Politics, Property Taxes, School Districts, Taxes, Unions on July 24, 2026| Leave a Comment »

By Gloria Casas | For the Naperville Sun

Community School District 300, which encompasses all or parts of West Dundee, Carpentersville, Sleepy Hollow and a half dozen other towns, will seek voter approval of a $355.5 million bond referendum in November election.

The D300 school board this week voted 7-0 to place the question on the Nov. 3 ballot. Bonds sold would fund more than 20 projects, including classroom additions to overcrowded schools, repairs to aging buildings, safety updates, entrance security improvements, and a new career and technical education center for hands-on training.

If the measure is approved, the owner of a $400,000 home would see a property tax bill increase of about $8.41 per month, or $101 per year, a news release on the initiative said.

“The referendum question follows a multiyear master facility plan process that examined the condition and capacity of all 27 district schools,” the release said.

“On average, District 300 schools are a half-century old, and roofs, windows, electrical, plumbing, and heating and cooling systems need repairs and updates. Many schools are already overcrowded, and an additional 4,000 students are expected over the next 10 years.”

Article continues here.

 

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Proposed Policy Change Would Strip Anonymous Formal Grievances in Barrington District 220

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Deception, District 220 referendum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Look For The Union Label, New Normal?, Open Meetings Act, Pension Funding, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 23, 2026| 2 Comments »

 

The Barrington CUSD 220 Board of Education is considering a key amendment to its Policy 2:260 (Uniform Grievance Procedure). The proposed revision would eliminate the ability for parents, staff, and community members to have anonymous reports processed through the formal Uniform Grievance Procedure—a move that directly impacts public oversight of elected Board members and District leadership.

Under current District rules, individuals can file anonymous complaints alleging policy, statutory, or constitutional violations. However, proposed edits to Policy 2:260 explicitly strike out standard formal grievance processing for anonymous claims, introducing strict new requirements recommended by the Policy Committee (highlighted in blue) and edited by the District’s Attorney (stricken in yellow highlights and added in pink highlights):

While the District notes it may still review anonymous reports “as appropriate,” stripped of the formal grievance mechanism, anonymous submissions will no longer trigger mandatory investigation reporting, formal Board findings, or structured appeal rights.

The proposed restriction on anonymous grievances follows two separate formal grievance investigations involving Board Member Erin Chan Ding, both of which resulted in official Board determinations that she violated Board policy:

  1. First Complaint (November 2025): Following an anonymous parent complaint regarding Chan Ding’s campaign for Illinois State Representative, an independent investigation by legal counsel found she had violated Policy 2:105 (Ethics and Gift Ban) and Policy 2:80 (Board Member Code of Conduct). The violations involved circulating campaign nominating petitions at District events and displaying District resources on campaign social media channels. The Board voted 6-1 to uphold the findings and required her to undergo remedial policy training.
  2.  Second Complaint (June/July 2026): A second formal grievance led to a Board decision on July 1, 2026, where the Board accepted investigator findings that Chan Ding again violated Policy 2:80. The Board cited her failure to recuse herself during the vote on her initial grievance—creating an appearance of impropriety—and her continued use of District achievements on active campaign platforms. The Board directed her to remove the content, requested a letter of apology, and asked her to seek independent ethics counseling

The effort to change the grievance policy also comes as the Board navigates additional formal complaints brought against other sitting Board members, including Board President Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Vice President Barry Altshuler, and Board Member Leah Collister-Lazzari.

Ending formal anonymous grievances creates a chilling effect on community members, parents, and District personnel who may fear professional or political retaliation if forced to attach their names to a complaint.

When complaints involve elected officials who wield significant authority over District personnel, policy, and budget decisions, anonymous grievance channels have historically served as a critical whistleblower mechanism. Stripping anonymous claims from formal procedure effectively raises the threshold for public scrutiny—at a time when Board members themselves are subject to active grievance findings.

The proposed edits to Policy 2:260 are currently undergoing Board review and are on the Agenda for discussion at today’s meeting, July 23, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., Item 6.01. Community members wishing to comment on the proposed changes to the Uniform Grievance Procedure or Board oversight standards can submit public comments or attend tonight’s District 220 Board of Education meeting.

Related: “Reminder: CUSD 220 Board of Education meeting tonight,” “CUSD 220 Board delivers second (slappier) slap on the wrist to member Erin Chan Ding,” “CUSD 220 Board of Education public comments we applaud,” “Special District 220 Board of Education meeting Monday,” “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency” and “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’”

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Reminder: CUSD 220 Board of Education meeting tonight

Posted in 220, Agendas, Barrington Education Association, Board of Education, Clown Car, Deception, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Education, Elections, Ethics, His Master's Voice, Illinois Federation of Teachers, Illinois State Board of Elections, Intergovernmental agreements (IGA), Lipstick On A Pig, Look For The Union Label, Politics, Property Taxes, Real Estate, Resident Spotlights, School Districts, Snowflake Effect, Taxes, Transparency, Unions, Video Streaming, What the Ficke (Bradford)? on July 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

CUSD 220 Board President Sandra Ficke-Bradford, Vice President Barry Altshuler and member Leah Collister-Lazzari.

The CUSD 220 Board of Education meets this evening at 6:00 PM at the District Administration Center, 515 W. Main Street. Items of most interest on the agenda are:

  • Consideration to Approve Written Decision Regarding Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Concerning Barry Altshuler
  • Consideration to Approve Written Decision Regarding Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Concerning Sandra Bradford
  • Consideration to Approve Written Decision Regarding Uniform Grievance Procedure Complaint Concerning Leah Collister-Lazzari
  • Consideration to Approve the Public Release of the July 17, 2026, Uniform Grievance Procedure Investigation Report and Findings
  • First Reading of Board Policy, 2:260 Uniform Grievance Procedure

A copy of the agenda can be viewed here. The meeting will be live streamed on the district YouTube channel.

Related: “CUSD 220 Board delivers second (slappier) slap on the wrist to member Erin Chan Ding,” “CUSD 220 Board of Education public comments we applaud,” “Special District 220 Board of Education meeting Monday,” “Over $100,000 in Special Interest Funding gifted to 220 Board member’s campaign in failed bid for State Rep job,” “New Evidence of Chan Ding’s Policy Violations and Conflicts of Interest,” “The D220 Board of Ed gets another ‘F’ in accountability & transparency,” “The Real Issue in Barrington 220 Isn’t Parking or Levies — It’s Leadership Culture,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS – Part 2,” “BOARD OF ED VOTES, MEMBER CHAN DING MADE FLAGRANT POLICY VIOLATIONS,” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency (Updated),” “District 220’s Lack of Transparency” and “Change.org Petition: ‘For the Resignation of Erin Chan Ding ~ D220 Resources are Not for Political Campaigns’”

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Drivers have less than 2 weeks to weigh in on endless toll hikes, years of congestion

Posted in BOHICA, Clown Car, Cost of Living, IDOT, Illinois Policy Institute, Illinois Tollway, Look For The Union Label, Overhead, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Springfield, Taxes, The Chicago Way, Traffic, Unions on July 23, 2026| Leave a Comment »

Illinois drivers have only a short window to comment on a $26.5 billion capital plan that includes the largest passenger tollway hike in state history.

By Shaw Carlson | Illinois Policy Institute

Drivers face up to 15 years of additional construction and congestion on Illinois toll roads under the system’s proposed capital plan.

They’ll also pay toll hikes continuing long after that.

The Driving Connections plan, announced in June, would spur projects on the Illinois Tollway system until 2042. The $26.5 billion plan would be funded with proposed toll hikes that Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed off on six months before the plan was released.

Former Tollway board member and state Sen. Bill Morris told the Daily Herald that “it appears they decided to raise tolls, and then they threw this together quickly for justification.”

The Tollway proposes raising tolls starting Jan. 1 by about 45 cents per toll for passenger drivers and 30% for commercial drivers. It would be the largest passenger toll hike in state history.

You can tell the Tollway Board to reject the tax hike here.

The board is hosting public meetings until July 24 and taking public comments online until noon Aug. 3. The next regular board meeting at which the hike could be approved is Aug. 19.

Lawmakers driven by road needs or union politics?

The proposed toll hike is tied to politics around last year’s mass-transit bailout. Lawmakers redirected about $1 billion a year from the Road Fund toward Chicago-area public transportation, a move opposed by construction unions objecting to losing that road money. The toll hike became the price for labor union support.

House Speaker Chris Welch said unions wanted something to point to that would “help keep working people working and keep roads getting repaired.”

Pritzker appoints the tollway board, and two of its members hold leadership positions in construction unions.

The Driving Connections plan would fund road-widening, reconstruction, bridge work and congestion relief across interstates 355, 88, 294, 80, 94, 90 and the Route 390/I-490 O’Hare-area projects.

Many of those toll roads have recently seen extended periods of construction.

I-294 remains tied up in Central Tri-State work, I-90 was modernized during the previous capital plan and Route 390/I-490 work has been going on for years.

Illinois spent $90,400 per lane-mile in 2023 on state-owned roads — about $16,700 more than the Reason Foundation’s model calculated it should have cost.

Article continues here.

Once again, you can tell the Tollway Board to reject the tax hike here.

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Illinois lawmaker salaries rise 34% faster than their constituents’ paychecks under Pritzker

Posted in Commodius Maximus, Ethics, Fools and their money, Illinois Policy Institute, Pension Funding, Politics, Pritzker’s Rules of Order, Property Taxes, Snowflake Effect, Springfield, Taxes, Transparency on July 22, 2026| 1 Comment »

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers have increased lawmaker pay while approving budgets that raised taxes on Illinoisans.

By Shaw Carlson | Illinois Policy Institute

Lawmakers’ pay has grown much faster than the average Illinois salary during Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s time in office.

Since 2019, the base salary for members of the General Assembly has risen 44.9%, to $98,304 in 2026.

In the same period, the average Illinois salary rose 33.7%, to about $79,779.

That base salary for lawmakers is set to rise to six figures under the newly enacted fiscal 2027 budget and doesn’t include the additional compensation they get for leadership positions and per diems for items such as lodging.

Pritzker signed the record-high $55.9 billion budget that included more than $800 million in business tax increases and rise to lawmakers.

While lawmaker compensation climbs, voters’ priorities are tossed aside

Illinoisans have made clear what they want state leaders to address.

A recent poll found high taxes were the top concern among Illinois voters, with 52.8% choosing it as one of the biggest issues facing the state. The economy ranked second, with about 41% naming it a top one or two issue out of seven.

Report continues here.

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