Since it is the Christmas season, I chose not to title this article “The Dumbest People in America.” But how else do you describe a state that has 25 percent of its budget going to pay government employee pensions and its voters who continue electing the same people who won't do a thing about it?

Adam Andrzejewski, the founder of the Illinois-based national transparency organization Open the Books, recently spoke at Harvard University calling upon Americans to exercise their power as citizens. “I am hopeful and optimistic about our future in Illinois,” he began. If...

Here was the headline: “Soros Shifts $18 Billion To Foundation He Uses To Fund Left.” That is not a typo. $18 billion with a B. This guy is serious about seeing Leftism advanced. The facts about that “shift” of dollars...

Today, State Representative Peter Breen (R-Lombard) and State Senator Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) filed the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” which would prohibit units of government in Illinois from using taxpayer funds for elective abortions, reversing key provisions of the recently enacted HB 40. Breen and McConchie are pressing for full debate and a floor vote on the measure during the upcoming fall veto session later this month, before HB 40 goes into effect...

Despite his commitment to veto HB 40, Governor Bruce Rauner has approved HB 40 — which requires taxpayers to fund the intentional murder of pre-born human beings through Medicaid and state employee insurance plans.  During the 2017 Spring session of...

In light of the possibility that Governor Bruce Rauner may renege on his commitment to veto HB 40—the bill that would require taxpayer-funding of abortions through Medicaid and state employee insurance plans through the entire 9 months of pregnancies—and the moral gravity of such an obscene (and costly) requirement, Illinois Family Institute Executive Director David Smith sent a letter to Illinois’ Republican congressmen requesting their help in persuading Governor Rauner to veto HB 40.

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...