Kyle Hillman

So the end days are upon us, it is officially NATO season and the City of Chicago is literally boarding up their windows and shutting down businesses in preparation. Security firm alerts, eight foot high perimeter fences, a shoot to kill fly zone and a LRAD Sonic Sound...

Watching April 24th's debate on the Infrastructure Trust proposed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel got me thinking, since Alderman Joe Moore is now the mayor's supporter, who is going to be the next Joe Moore?

Anyone who watched the political landscape over the last 20 years of Mayor Richard M. Daley's...

It happens only once every ten years but has profound effects on communities of interest in the City of Chicago. An effective ward remapping isn't just about jobs for currently elected officials, but jobs and development access for entire communities. It isn't just about being able to elect politicians that...

The fact that Illinois corporations have been lobbying Springfield for tax breaks isn't much of surprise, considering it was something they were doing long before the state tax increase last year and will continue long after the tax increase is repealed. What is surprising is the rate of success they...

The much-anticipated Cook County redesigned open data website was launched last week -- let the floodgate of citizen activism begin. Of course, when I say much-anticipated, I am referring to a small select pool of people who get excited around datasets or those who blog and tweet about...

In the blue corner from Moline, Illinois and representing the 36th District: Senator Mike Jacobs.

In the red corner from Lebanon, Illinois and representing the 51st District: Senator Kyle McCarter.

Gentleman, we want a clean fight, no kicking or biting, no referencing apparent family conflict of interests, and...

With the local media fixated on each of Rahm Emanuel's first 30 days, it becomes easy to forget that two other city-wide elected officials settled into their digs in City Hall a month ago as well.

City Treasurer Stephanie Neely, who after a successful ballot challenge found herself being...

UPDATE: HB1965 is the only bill to get out of the House and as of 6/1/2011 has been assigned to Illinois Senate Executive Committee. It was not called before the May 31st deadline. With the expansion of casinos approved, it isn't likely that this will be the end of this...

Starting at noon Monday at the Bilandic Building in downtown Chicago, the public aspect of the state redistricting process will begin. Additional Senate committee hearings are scheduled for April 6 in Springfield, April 16 in Kankakee and Peoria and April 19 in Cicero, but on Monday the largest metropolitan area...

A week ago, the Illinois Senate Republican leadership team held a press conference to announce the state was in debt and that they would announce a second press conference to come. The purpose of the second event was to show the people of Illinois the six billion dollars in cuts...

While national attention on the 2011 Chicago municipal elections is squarely on the victory of Rahm Emanuel as Chicago's new mayor-elect, a little-known candidate has quietly defied the establishment by pulling the biggest upset of the night. Ameya Pawar, a 30-year-old Northwestern University program assistant, will become the first Indian-American...