Back in the days when progressive Republicans were still part of our political landscape, Nelson Rockefeller, as Governor of New York and the 41st Vice President, served our country well. It is ironic, therefore, that perhaps the most socially damaging legislation in the last 50 years bears his name. more

The Roman Catholics have nothing on us. We Protestants can sin with the best of them! Indeed, it may very well be a by-product of the child sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church that a keen eye is now being increasingly focused on the Protestant churches. more

Some might say that this year’s legislative session was a difficult one… and they’d most certainly be right! When it came to passing bills or programs that required any kind of new revenue – we faced an uphill battle. Our work for a fair budget continues to be particularly challenging, and often discouraging. This might be enough to leave a normal person feeling a bit down; but thankfully, we can share with you at least one significant success story on a piece of legislation that will do quite a bit of good. more

Jesus obviously got it wrong. He should clearly have foreseen that the states like Arizona would require, at some point, some kind of identification card to guard against those who act strangely and suspiciously – those, that is, who are illegal and, therefore, threaten the social, political, and economic order. more

Read Al Sharp’s article on drug treatment as it appeared in last Sunday’s Chicago Sun-Times Commentary Section. more

"The people most affected by this (the war on drugs) are black and brown and poor. It’s the abandoned inner cores of our urban areas… We pretend to educate the kids. We pretend that we’re actually including them in the American ideal, but we’re not…."—David Simon more

"Sometimes after the legislature has adjourned, I am so frustrated and angry that for at least two weeks I can’t even stand to walk down the street and look at the Capitol." more

Two weeks ago, the Cook County Board of Commissioners, with little fanfare, passed an ordinance decriminalizing low levels (10 grams or less) of marijuana possession in the non-incorporated areas of the County. more

On Friday, June 12th, PCG will host a conference, New Directions for Drug Policy in Illinois. If you believe the following facts — and what might be done to address them — are important, you will surely want to attend… more

Walter Boyd, director of PCG’s criminal justice program, and I often recall our first experiences in Springfield together. Our purpose was to gain support for measures that would give a fair chance to ex-offenders trying to rebuild their lives upon leaving prison. more