Dan Proft and Pat Hughes, co-founder of the Illinois Opportunity Project, talk about how New York’s new restrictive laws against Airbnb compare to Chicago’s and other major cities. They also preview the upcoming legislative elections with longtime ABC Political Reporter Charles Thomas.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Pat Hughes

Guests: Jared Meyer, Charles Thomas

Dan Proft and Ted Dabrowski, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, talk to former Mike Madigan primary opponent Jason Gonzales about the tactics Madigan employed against him during his run. They also talk to a Tax Foundation policy analyst about Illinois’ competitiveness – or lack thereof – in tax policy in the region. And they talk to a pension expert about how each state pension fund across the country is underfunded.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Ted Dabrowski

Guests: Jason Gonzales, Jared Walczak, Bob Williams​

Dan Proft and Michael Lucci, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, react to the deal between Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union that includes a limit on charter schools. They also break down new out-migration data that shows how much income is fleeing Illinois, and how nearly half of Illinoisans remaining would like to leave, too.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Michael Lucci

Guests: Jelani McEwen, Scott Moody, Mark Dobson

Dan Proft and Pat Hughes talk to the author of a new study showing that higher-paid lawmakers are more focused on fundraising than legislating. They also talk to Jim Iuorio, managing director of TJM Institutional Services and CNBC contributor, about Illinois’ recent credit downgrade and the state’s suspension of Wells Fargo.

Hosts: Dan Proft and Pat Hughes

Guests: Mitchell Hoffman, Jim Iuorio

Dan Proft and Austin Berg preview the upcoming documentary “Madigan: Power. Privilege. Politics” with one of the film’s producers, Teryn Fogel. They also talk to Rob Blagojevich, brother of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, about the toxic political culture Madigan leads in Illinois. 

Dan Proft and Jacob Huebert, senior attorney for the Liberty Justice Center, talk to a child care worker leading a nationwide fight against unionization of home child care providers. They also talk to Ron Bailey, science correspondent at Reason magazine and Reason.com, about Chicago’s driverless car ban and the city’s hostility toward entrepreneurs. And while Chicago’s restrictive Airbnb ordinance is still new, an attorney with the Beacon Center discusses how he is fighting a similar ordinance in Nashville.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Jacob Huebert

Guests: Jennifer Parrish, Ron Bailey, Braden Boucek​

Dan Proft and Michael Lucci, vice president of policy at the Illinois Policy Institute, talk to Illinois Manufacturers’ Association President Greg Baise about how to improve the state’s poor manufacturing climate. They also talk to economist Walter Williams about Illinois’ record-high black unemployment rate, its root causes and solutions, and they talk to a leader from a Chicago-based nonprofit trying to provide opportunity to those in the city and state without it.

Guests: Greg Baise, Walter Williams, Fred Long

Hosts: Dan Proft & Michael Lucci

Dan Proft and Ted Dabrowski discuss the looming threat of a Chicago Teachers Union strike. Illinois faces more than $110 billion in pension debt and flawed pension math is to blame. A new reform eliminates pensions for future county board members statewide, and tuition costs in Illinois have doubled over the last decade largely due to bloated administrations.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Ted Dabrowski

Dan Proft and Austin Berg break down what comes next in the state’s partial impasse with AFSCME. They also talk to a Chicago food truck owner who is fighting back against Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s promise to “crack down” on the food truck industry. And they discuss the lack of opportunity – and the national headlines about violence – in the city under Emanuel’s leadership, as well as potential further exodus from Chicago to Northwest Indiana.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Austin Berg

Guests: Mailee Smith, Gabe Wiesen, Leah Konrady

Dan Proft and Jacob Huebert, senior attorney at the Liberty Justice Center, discuss reports of widespread food-stamp trafficking in Illinois and elsewhere, as well alternatives to failing welfare programs, with policy experts from the Foundation for Government Accountability and the Cato Institute. While everyone is talking about the Chicago White Sox stadium name change, Dan and Jacob tackle another issue with the ballpark: its taxpayer funding. And they also explore Mike Madigan’s involvement in Aurora’s mayoral race.

Hosts: Dan Proft & Jacob Huebert

Guests: Josh Archambault, Michael Tanner, Rick Guzman