Illinois taxpayers are forced to suffer uncontrolled state spending and political corruption, so the Illinois Policy Institute is spearheading two main legislative efforts: Fiscal solutions and ethics reform.

Illinoisans are moving out of the state because taxes are among the nation’s highest. IPI’s policy solutions aim to change how the Illinois General Assembly operates by forcing lawmakers to spend only what taxpayers can afford. During the 2020 legislative session, IPI is championing a state spending cap and extensive pension reforms. IPI is the only Illinois organization producing research around these issues.

IPI is also promoting anti-corruption reforms. IPI’s research team determined the price of Illinois corruption was more than $550 million in lost economic opportunity per year. In response, IPI is working to restrict lawmakers from voting on issues that are conflicts of interest and to prohibit legislators from lobbying directly after leaving office.

In 2016, our team produced “Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics.,” a documentary about Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan, the longest-serving leader of any state legislative body. IPI has made Madigan’s power over our state widely known, and there is evidence the FBI is paying attention. Officials in the FBI Criminal Justice Information Systems office have logged over 1,200 sessions on illinoispolicy.org since 2016. The top two stories FBI officials are reading are about Madigan’s campaign cash controls and the rules keeping him in power, which means investigators are using Illinois Policy Institute research to understand the structure of corruption in Illinois.