BGA Policy has long documented the perils that come with the judiciary being exempt from the Freedom of Information Act. This ...

A series of new lobbying priorities announced by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a press conference last week included tweaks to revenues the city currently receives from the state government, but ...

Photo of the Illinois State Capitol. In 2023, the Office of Statewide Pretrial Services launched a probation and pretrial electronic monitoring program for 70 of Illinois’ 102 counties. It has since ...

In a memo sent Friday to the Chicago City Council’s ethics committee, city Inspector General Deborah Witzburg laid out a series of what her office characterizes as obstructions by the city’s law ...

The Department of Streets and Sanitation budget stayed relatively flat during both of Rahm Emanuel’s terms, following a roughly 270-position staffing reduction in his first budget. Appropriations ...

The Chicago Police Department is the city’s largest department both in headcount and in overall funds appropriated, with nearly three times the positions budgeted as the next-largest Chicago Fire ...

Mayor Brandon Johnson released his proposed 2025 budget for the City of Chicago on Wednesday, Oct. 30. As in previous years, BGA Policy will release a series of department-specific budget snapshots ...

The Better Government Association is a non-partisan, non-profit news organization and civic advocate working for transparency, efficiency and accountability in government in Chicago and across ...

A year of City Council meetings since the 2023 elections hasn’t seen much change in the body’s time management: Roughly one-third of regular meeting time, from the end of public comment to adjournment ...

Chair Kifowit, Vice Chair Rohr, Rep. Reick, members of the committee: Thank you for the invitation to speak today about one of the most important issues facing our state: How to reinvest in our ...