Advocating for term limits for an office you hold is not the norm. Chicago Inspector General Deborah Witzburg deserves praise.
Perspectives
Posted inPerspectives
100 Days In, BGA Policy Reviews Mayor Johnson’s Government Ethics Campaign Promises
100 days ago this Wednesday, Brandon Johnson was sworn in as mayor of Chicago. During the campaign, Johnson, along with all other candidates except incumbent mayor Lori Lightfoot, responded to […]
Posted inPerspectives
Sophia Van Pelt: Illinois Juvenile Detention Centers Can Hide Mistreatment Behind FOIA Exclusion
It’s hardly news that the juvenile justice system in Illinois is failing the young people it is supposed to serve. In the Cook County detention center alone, advocates and journalists in […]
Posted inPerspectives
Cubbage: City Council Has New Committees. Now It’s Time to Reform Committee Staffing.
The City Council has an opportunity to eliminate the practice of letting individual committee chairs control the hiring of their staff.
Posted inPerspectives
Cubbage: It’s Past Time for the City Council To Name Its Own Committee Leadership
There’s no reason for the City Council to maintain its unspoken power-sharing agreement with the mayor when it comes to committees.
Posted inPerspectives
Zarou: Aldermanic Ethics Reform Package Could Be a Second Chance for Lightfoot To Fulfill Her Vow
Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s track record on reform is a mixed bag. A wide-ranging ethics reform proposal could help her follow through on her promises.
Posted inPolicy
Zarou: Zoom Meetings Make State Government Accessible. But It’s Critical To Preserve In-Person Meetings
From this point forward, online systems — on Zoom or similar platforms — should always be available for the benefit of those who can’t attend public meetings. But that’s as far as it should go.
Posted inPolicy
Zarou: Illinois General Assembly Has the Chance To Act on Meaningful Ethics Reform
The state’s history of corruption has the public craving good government, empower the inspector general’s office as a start to restoring confidence.
Posted inPerspectives, Policy
Dillon: Will Lawmakers Have the Nerve to Cash Back Pay?
Every year from 2009 to 2016, lawmakers made a big bipartisan show of voting to freeze their salaries. Now some of them want to claw back those raises, for themselves and all lawmakers who gave them up.
Posted inPerspectives, Policy
Dillon: Real Life Lessons in Civics From Springfield
The repeated stalling of the Fair Maps Amendment contradicts the textbook narrative about elected representatives who carry out the will of voters. Civics teachers are going to have some explaining to do.
