Elizabeth Bauer –

The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on April 5, 2021.

Op-ed: Illinois pension reform: Arizona provides a model worth another look

May 25, 2021 at 5:21 p.m.

Reforming Illinois' and Chicago's public pensions seems like an increasingly lost cause. Gov. J.B. Pritzker says "no" repeatedly, Senate President Don Harmon says it's not possible, and new Democratic House...

During a rally at North School Park in Arlington Heights on Sept. 26, 2020, someone holds up a sign calling for District 214 to let parents decide whether their children get in-person classes or remote lessons.

Op-ed: Want to reopen schools and hold them accountable? Run for office

March 5, 2021 at 1:32 p.m.

Everyone's got a remote learning story. Here's mine at Township High School District 214 in the northwest suburbs, a self-proclaimed "destination district" considered to have such highly desirable schools, parents...

School buses parked in a iron gated lot as Chicago Public Schools remain closed.

Commentary: Actually, the school-closers aren’t listening to science

August 7, 2020 at 1:36 p.m.

"Science-based. That's the refrain of the school-closers throughout the country, including Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot. At a news conference last Wednesday, Lightfoot announced the decision to abandon a hybrid schooling...

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces a plan to consolidate more than 600 pension funds for suburban and downstate police officers and firefighters in October 2019.

Commentary: Pension help could be on the way, if we choose it

July 28, 2020 at 3:08 p.m.

Ever since Gov. J.B Pritzker took office, he has acknowledged the deep difficulties the state of Illinois faces due to its pension debt and the crowding out of needed state...

St. Louis Roman Catholic Church in Buffalo, New York, along with the nearby diocese in Rochester, sought a combined $3 million from the Paycheck Protection Program.

Commentary: Catholic church receiving PPP money is no ‘scandal.’ Here’s why.

July 14, 2020 at 1:23 p.m.

Last week, The Associated Press reported that the U.S. Roman Catholic Church used special exemptions to receive coronavirus aid. The article deliberately cast the participation of Catholic churches in the...

Gov. J.B. Pritzker during a daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic on May 3, 2020, at the Thompson Center in Chicago.

Commentary: We need reasonable, sensible plans from the governor in response to the pandemic

May 15, 2020 at 4:29 p.m.

Ever since Gov. J.B. Pritzker released his "Restore Illinois" plan last week, the Illinois Department of Public Health and the news media have been providing daily reports on how the...

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