Carol Ostrow Stories | Sangamon Sun

AFSCME strike risks could be life-changing, group warns

By Carol Ostrow | May 10, 2017

If lllinois state employees end up going on strike, they could be risking more than their paychecks: They could lose their jobs, a public policy research group said recently.

Trial lawyer accused of falsely leading debate on workers' comp

By Carol Ostrow | May 9, 2017

Stressing that Illinois’ insurance marketplace remains both competitive and ethical, the Illinois Policy Institute took issue with a series of claims made recently by Chicago-based personal injury lawyer Christopher Hurley.

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Survey: Illinois must spend less, not tax more

By Carol Ostrow | May 8, 2017

Illinois needs to cut back on spending and not even think about raising taxes, which are already too high, a majority of state residents said in a recent survey.

GOP says AG Madigan puts pols over people

By Carol Ostrow | Apr 14, 2017

What's good for the populace must not be good for the politicians, the Illinois Republican Party said recently in response to Attorney General Lisa Madigan's apparent willingness to give in to a judge's decision on elected officials' paychecks.

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Mautino faces spending questions in State Board of Elections hearing

By Carol Ostrow | Apr 10, 2017

In retrospect, frequenting one gas station might not have been the best choice for recently deposed Illinois Auditor General Frank Mautino, whose upcoming complaint hearings were confirmed this week by the Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) Illinois Leaks website.

Media slams Mendoza for reneging on pay promise

By Carol Ostrow | Apr 10, 2017

Several Illinois publications have taken Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza to task recently for backpedaling on a pledge to pay elected officials’ salaries only after fulfilling commitments to others owed money by the state.

Comptroller's ride is on back of taxpayers, GOP claims

By Carol Ostrow | Apr 9, 2017

Most people would agree that public officials should be seen among the public, but State Comptroller Susana Mendoza might have puhed her luck after being spotted in a $32,000 SUV recently.

GOP says Dems' five-point plan needs sharpening

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 29, 2017

An upcoming Democrat plan expected to focus on five elements -- campaign finance, criminal justice, education funds, health care and budget matters – seems to have overlooked two things that are critical to healing Illinois: property taxes and jobs, the Illinois GOP said on Wednesday.

Budget woes hit home in struggling mother's story

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 29, 2017

Hoping to open some legislative eyes, Crain’s Chicago Business recently published a piece by Rich Miller, published of daily political newsletter Capital Fax, that weighed in on Illinois’ budget problem — now over two years in the making — from the perspective of one beleaguered mother of a very sick baby.

Springfield chamber tops the charts

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 25, 2017

The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce is among the top 1 percent of chambers in the United States, earning a five-star accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently.

Group wants to shoot down gun bill

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 20, 2017

A conservative group known as Yes I'm Right is blasting pending Illinois legislation it says gives the state too much power to revoke citizens' Second Amendment rights.

Rauner creates jobs site to offset impact of potential AFSCME strike

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 19, 2017

To thwart potential economic issues for union workers in the face of a possible impending large-scale AFSCME strike, Governor Bruce Rauner recently launched a website intended to aid laborers should they forfeit their current jobs.

Illinoisans carry heaviest tax load, analysis determines

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 19, 2017

Making ends meet in the Prairie State is no walk in the park, according to a recent WalletHub analysis that said Illinois' combination of sales, property and income taxes is the nation’s highest.

Pritzker panel looking into gubernatorial run

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 16, 2017

Billionaire JB Pritzker has raised the stakes in the Illinois governor's race, establishing a panel to look into a possible run to oust Bruce Rauner.

State lawmakers accused of questionable pay raises by committee

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 15, 2017

Illinois lawmakers are using a seemingly surreptitious way to give themselves pay raises: creating new and useless committees for which they are automatically paid an extra $10,326 as chairmen, a Chicago-based think tank is arguing.

NRA issues call to arms against anti-gun measures

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 14, 2017

The National Rifle Association (NRA) is calling for a blitz against bills that it says would sharply curtail legal firearms possession that will be presented in judiciary hearings in the Illinois General Assembly today.

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Term limits seen as giving people what they want

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 12, 2017

Andy Shaw says that although term limits have not proven to be effective at addressing systemic political problems, if that's what the people of Illinois want, it's what they should get.

Watchdogs say Illinois laws provide overview of corruption

By Carol Ostrow | Mar 6, 2017

Reckoning that “for every article we publish, there are at least 5 more” potential stories delving into government issues, Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) recently recapped what it considered some of Illinois’ most salient legal woes.

Watchdog group demands Chatham clerk's resignation

By Carol Ostrow | Feb 27, 2017

The consumer advocacy group Edgar County Watchdogs (ECW) has accused the Chatham village clerk of several violations, including tampering with a mayoral candidate's application papers, and is asking for his immediate resignation, Illinois Leaks reported recently.

House Democrats lament lack of voice under Madigan's leadership