Comment: Don’t be so sure about Contract Clause protection in the U.S. Constitution.

Ives has also refused a pension and pays for her own events out-of-pocket or by partnering with local businesses. Her office furniture and other equipment is either donated or purchased out of pocket.

Comment: Lisa Madigan’s conduct on this has been appalling, as we wrote here earlier. She is clearly opposing full pay. A CNBC article today is one of the few that got it right, unlike most of the Illinois press. Both sides will brief this and a hearing probably will be held next week.  

…from the finest spinster unions, Madigan and Cullerton ever had.

Illinois’ death tax, corporate franchise tax and LLC fees cause disproportionate economic harm compared to how much tax revenue they generate.

The Independent Maps campaign is a nonpartisan group taking up the issue of independent redistricting, and trying to get it on the November 2016 ballot by collecting more than 290,000 valid signatures. The group has similar goals but is different from the Yes for Independent Maps group that collected signatures toward such a vote in 2014.

Illinois’ mass layoffs include janitors, food service workers, Kmart. Janitorial company We Clean Maintenance and Supplies plans to lay off 540 workers next month after losing a job cleaning Chicago Public Schools.