The Illinois Family Institute and its sister organization, Illinois Family Action, have posted on each of the organization’s website an “about” page with a summary of each group's mission (here is IFI's, here is IFA's). Every now and then, however, IFI and IFA receive notes from friends and allies questioning some aspect of the organizations’ activities.

The Illinois Family Institute always appreciates when its work is read by more people, and we benefit when others bring attention to our work. Over the years when writing op eds I’ve made mistakes — failed to correct typos or...

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose...

During the Pro-Life Action League's annual Face the Truth Tour, the organization's executive director weighed in on the politics surrounding pro-abortion legislation approved Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly.

A Federal District Court has granted a preliminary injunction in a right-of-conscience case, the controversy of which the Illinois Family Institute has been following for several years. The religious liberty defending law firm of Mauck & Baker, LLC is reporting some very good news out of that Federal District Court regarding an Illinois law mandating that pro-life medical personnel provide their clients with positive information about abortion services:

Before citing a few facts and linking to a few articles from the Illinois Policy Institute, let me outline reality in simple terms: the pensions systems cannot be fixed. They need to be shut down, taxpayers should be cut free from the scam, and the state government should get out of the pension business. After decades, it has proven incapable of being trusted with tax dollars for employee pensions.

Government employee compensation expert Bill Zettler, has had some great lines over the years. “Economics always wins,” is among his best. Despite the wishes and dreams of people on both the political left and political right, the day of accounting always comes. We are at that day right now as taxpayers face hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded pension liability...

The Board of IFI just finished a Webinar with State Rep. Jeanne Ives, of the 42nd district, along with Senator Kyle McCarter, of the 51st District. The purpose of the meeting was to seek their advice on how IFI can...

In preparation for the recording of an IFA Spotlight weekly podcast, executive director Dave Smith asked me to do some research about the Illinois government’s employee pension problem. For me, it is not a fun topic to delve into because...

We recently alerted you to two pending pieces of legislation that Governor Bruce Rauner will soon have to grapple with. If you have not yet responded to this call-to-action, or even if you have, it is imperative that his office hears from us emphatically and frequently. The top priority during the summer is HB 1785 -- it MUST be vetoed!

By using their majority in Springfield, Illinois Democrats may try to use their passage of House Bill 40 as a wedge issue in the 2018 elections. However, a pro-life lawmaker is suggesting that the anti-baby legislation could backfire on them.

Two important pieces of legislation are awaiting Governor Bruce Rauner‘s action — to sign, or to veto — and both bills should be vetoed! For him to do this, he needs to hear from the Illinois’ pro-life and pro-family community.  ...

The Illinois State House was back in session during the afternoon of July 6th to override Gov. Bruce Rauner’s veto of a 32 percent permanent tax hike on Illinois families (SB 9). This tax grab also raises the corporate income...

Late Sunday afternoon (July 2nd), the Illinois House passed a massive tax hike for families and businesses. What does that mean for taxpayers? Well, if this proposal isn't vetoed by Gov. Bruce Rauner, the personal income tax rate would increase by 32 percent, surging from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, and the corporate rate would jump from 5.25 percent to 7 percent. This would enable and fund business as usual. ("Enable" is the key word here...)

State government summer re-run season is underway at the Illinois capitol building where both political parties are cooperating to send our state further into the fiscal abyss. Midnight came and went as we closed out the month of June without a budget being signed into law, so Illinois has begun its third straight year without one.