To Endorse or NOT to Endorse in The Primary Election… THAT is The REAL Question

Written by Nancy Hayes

Recent news seems to have fired up some grassroots and even maybe some conservative GOP leaders. The question proposed recently is this: should the Illinois GOP endorse or not endorse candidates in the primary?

In free and fair elections, why not just let the voters decide? Why would the Illinois GOP want to endorse in the primary if we are all, in fact, for free and fair elections? What would be the REAL reason why the Illinois GOP would want to endorse in the primary?… Continue Reading

Still Fighting the Good Fight vs. Amendment 1

Written by Nancy Hayes

On November 8^th of last year, Illinoisans went to the polls and voted on Amendment 1. This constitutional amendment passed on an official vote from Illinois citizens with a total of 2,212,999 yeses to 1,555,929 nos.

What is Amendment 1?

Amendment 1 is a proposed constitutional amendment that adds a new “constitutional right” for government workers to organize and collectively bargain. According to Wirepoints, Amendment 1 “cemented public sector union powers into the State Constitution.”… Continue Reading

Election 2022 Recap

Written by David E. Smith

The hope in a “Red Wave” election didn’t come to fruition in November. The work to flip the U.S. House and U.S. Senate to Republican control produced mixed results.

The GOP barely gained control of the U.S. House, which means Nancy Pelosi will no longer be the Speaker of the U.S. House, and third in line to the presidency.

Of our state’s 17 Congressional seats, three downstate districts have Republican representation, as we lost one to redistricting and one to a Democrat candidate in the newly redrawn 13^th district in central Illinois.… Continue Reading

Dr. Bill Hauter Earns IFA’s Endorsement!

IFA Staff Reports

The IFA Board was impressed by Dr. Bill Hauter, who spoke with passion and conviction on issues ranging from life, to medical freedom, to school choice. He doesn’t shy away from making his faith in Jesus Christ known.

From his web site:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
                                                    2 Timothy 4:7

A Stronger Conservative Voice for Our District

I’m running for the Republican nomination to the 87th District of the Illinois State House.… Continue Reading

Media Ignores Black Conservatives Within GOP

Written by Kristi Shaffer and David E. Smith

Illinois has some exceptional conservative candidates running for office in the upcoming primaries. Citizens concerned with the direction of the state are becoming involved. Leftists, fearing the exit of persons of color from the Democrat Party desperately want voters to believe diversity is missing among the conservative candidates. They are again using identity politics to divide America, hoping to convince voters of the lie that conservatives represent only white America. … Continue Reading

Illinois Redistricting Plan Is Unconstitutional: It Should Really Be As Easy As 1, 2, 3!

Written by James M. Odom

Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3, of the U.S. Constitution requires legislative districts to be based upon an actual count of population every 10 years.  The Illinois Constitution also requires this.

The procedure for drawing legislative districts prescribed by the Illinois Constitution is for the Legislature to complete a redistricting plan for legislative districts according to the new federal census, in the year following the census.

If the redistricting plan is not complete by June 30th, a commission of 8 members (half to be non-legislators), appointed by July 10^th by each of the majority and minority political leadership, “no more than four of whom shall be members of the same political party,” will complete the redistricting plan.… Continue Reading

Taxpayer Freedom Caucus Formed by Illinois GOP House Members

Written by David E. Smith

Republicans may be in the super-minority in the Illinois General Assembly, but that isn’t stopping 20 Republican State House members from forming the “Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus” to focus on structural and ethical reforms our state desperately needs.

Members include State Representatives John Cabello (Machesney Park), Joe Sosnowski (Rockford), Blaine Wilhour (Effingham), Dan Caulkins (Decatur), Brad Halbrook (Shelbyville), Chris Miller (Oakland), Allen Skillicorn (Crystal Lake), Darren Bailey (Xenia), Andrew Chesney (Freeport), David McSweeney (Barrington Hills), Amy Grant (Wheaton), Terri Bryant (Murphysboro), Randy Freese (Quincy), Dave Severin (Benton), Tom Morrison (Palatine), Tom Weber (Lake Villa), Patrick Windhorst (Metropolis), Dan Swanson (Alpha), Charlie Meier (Okawville), and Tony McCombie (Savanna).… Continue Reading

Illinois Republicans Miss the Target in Target-Rich Environment–Again

Written by John Biver and David E. Smith

Illinois Republicans never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Whether it is reaching enough Illinoisans with the facts about the dire fiscal state of Illlinois or about the terrible consequences of the misnamed “Equal Rights Amendment,” GOP leaders can’t seem to make use of the many teachable moments that occur weekly in Illinois politics.

One such teachable moment presented itself in a shocking investigative report by the Chicago Tribune on pervasive child sexual abuse within the Chicago Public School system that exposed that “Over a decade, police investigated more than 520 cases of juvenile sexual assault and abuse in Chicago’s public schools.”… Continue Reading

Mickey Straub to Mount a Primary Challenge Failure-Ridden GOP Leader Jim Durkin

Written by John Biver

Usually when a legislator holds the top leadership post in their General Assembly caucus, reelection in their district is all but guaranteed. These are not usual times. The mood of the nation and the mood of Republican and independent voters in Illinois has changed.

State House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) will be facing a probably-well-funded challenger in next March’s primary.

IFI and IFA readers have seen his name previously on these pages.… Continue Reading

Madigan’s Bipartisan Deception vs. Taxpayers

Written by David E. Smith

As you know by now, over the Independence Day weekend, the Illinois General Assembly passed a massive tax hike for families and businesses. When Governor Bruce Rauner vetoed the proposal, the Illinois Senate and House quickly overrode his veto. What does that mean for taxpayers? Well, the personal income tax rate has now increased by 32 percent, surging from 3.75 percent to 4.95 percent, and the corporate rate has jumped from 5.25 percent to 7 percent.… Continue Reading