CHICAGO — On the heels of their statewide transparency project promoting an online database that brings more transparency to county government and their grassroots support for transparency in state government (HB 4765), the Illinois Chapter of Americans for Prosperity announced that they will be highlighting a "Pork Project a Day" via the AFP-IL weblog.

The Illinois General Assembly has passed an unbalanced budget, showing little regard for the Illinois Constitution, which requires all budgets passed by the General Assembly to be balanced. Listen to or read the script.

The climate-change issue has divided conservatives, with presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain leading the charge for a cap-and-trade energy-rationing scheme and Oklahoma Sen. James Inhofe spearheading the opposition — which includes my group, Americans for Prosperity, and most movement conservatives. Building a consensus on the issue looks complicated, but it's as simple as one word: taxes. We should build from the premise that climate policy must not be used as a cover for raising federal revenue.

Americans for Prosperity is working hard to bring you the missing half of the global warming debate. What will the impacts of reactionary legislation be for you, your family and our economy?

Since I began serving in the General Assembly, there have been several attempts by lawmakers to pass transparency legislation. Illinois residents are so tired of corruption in state government with our former governor serving prison time and our current governor under federal investigation. U.S. Attorney General Patrick Fitzgerald has called the Governor's administration `pay to play on steroids.' Due to increased infighting between the Governor and the state's Democrat leaders, suspicion and distrust have replaced compromise and negotiation.