Capital Facts

Moving on after education reform approved

Published by admin on Wed, 09/06/2017 - 9:00am

 

It’s been clear for decades that the way Illinois funds its public schools has been wrong-headed. But finding a solution has eluded everyone who has tried. Until now.

Things not getting better on Rauner’s watchThings not getting better on Rauner’s watch

Published by admin on Mon, 08/28/2017 - 2:05pm

    After years of harshly bad-mouthing the state’s economy, Gov. Bruce Rauner has pivoted in the past couple of weeks as the campaign season has heated up.
    “I’m proud since I became governor,” he said recently, “we have recruited and added around 120,000 new jobs to the state of Illinois.”
    “But,” Rauner said, “we should be growing at four or five times that rate. But we have red tape and restrictions, regulations on our businesses. I have advocated change that, so far, Speaker Madigan has resisted.”

Rauner’s school funding vote will define him forever

Published by admin on Wed, 08/23/2017 - 9:00am

 

Gov. Bruce Rauner has said for the past several days that he's open to just about any sort of compromise in order to get school funding reform signed into law.

Rauner veto would slash funds to schools with TIFs

Published by admin on Mon, 08/14/2017 - 11:02am

    Chicago has vast property wealth and the largest population by far in Illinois. But it also has a large amount of that property wealth locked up in Tax Increment Financing districts.

Rauner’s staffers may be out to kill education reform bill

Published by admin on Wed, 08/09/2017 - 9:00am

 

The education funding reform bill which passed the House and Senate in May and was finally sent to Gov. Bruce Rauner’s desk in July was the product of four years of research, endless listening tours and lots of hard bargaining.

Battle over ed funding reform rages on

Published by admin on Mon, 07/31/2017 - 1:37pm

    During the lead-up to the recent special legislative session over the state budget and a tax hike, Gov. Bruce Rauner’s staff studied whether their boss had the power to force legislators to attend the sessions.

A whole new world in the governor’s office

Published by admin on Mon, 07/24/2017 - 12:24pm

    In the end, Mike "Z" Zolnierowicz had only one choice. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s top political lieutenant, the man everyone calls “Z” who was most responsible for winning the 2014 Republican primary and the governor's former state chief of staff, simply had to resign late in the afternoon on Friday, July 14.

Rauner staff changes may bring more deadlock

Published by admin on Wed, 07/19/2017 - 9:00am

 

After Gov. Bruce Rauner hired Illinois Policy Institute president Kristina Rasmussen's as his new chief of staff, I reached out to one of the House Republicans who voted to override the governor's budget and tax hike vetoes. How was he feeling?

Breakaway Republicans crucial to veto overrides

Published by admin on Mon, 07/10/2017 - 3:46pm

    After years of ugly gridlock and weeks of groups and political leaders whipping up an already disgusted populace over a 1.2 percentage point income tax increase, lots of legislators were understandably on edge last week.
    Rep. Will Guzzardi, D-Chicago, tweeted ahead of the votes to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s vetoes of a budget package that it was "hard not to think about the [recent Virginia] congressional shooting showing up to work today."

Illinois Senate will be at a loss without Radogno

Published by admin on Wed, 07/05/2017 - 9:00am

 

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno was the first ever female leader of a state legislative caucus in Illinois. That alone puts her in the history books.