Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and several good government and media groups are speaking out against a measure that they say would "significantly weaken" the state's freedom of information laws.
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Read More… from IL Government Transparency Advocates Denounce State FOIA Proposal
In a state where four of the last seven governors have been convicted of things such as corruption, bribery and fraud, you'd think the general consensus would always be: The more transparent your government is, the better off we'll all be.
But no.
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Read More… from Opinion: Attack on the Freedom of Information Act
Illinois residents could have a harder time accessing government information under new legislation before the General Assembly.
The plan, SB2799, makes it harder for people to get repaid legal costs when a government wrongfully denies access to public documents.
At the same time, it makes it easier for governments to keep certain information off-limits. Continue>>>
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Read More… from Last Minute Rush To Change Freedom Of Information Act
What was said to whom and when about St. Elizabeth’s Hospital’s plans for a replacement hospital in O’Fallon have led to Freedom of Information Act requests by the city of Belleville and the hospital. And now the attorney general is investigating those requests and the responses provided.
Attorney General Lisa Madigan has called for further inquiry into responses to the FOIA requests Belleville made to O’Fallon, and the requests St. Elizabeth’s made to Belleville
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Read More… from Attorney general looks into FOIA requests about St. E’s hospital plans
Ever since Illinois rewrote and bolstered its Freedom of Information Act in 2010, government officials of all stripes have done their best to chip away at it. Such is the case with a bill vetoed this year by Gov. Pat Quinn.
As lawmakers gather in Springfield this week for the annual fall veto session, Better Government Association President Andy Shaw says this is one veto that should be left alone.
Shaw writes: Continue>>>
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Bad ideas, unlike fine wine, don’t get better with age.
And that’s especially true of HB 3796, a bill that would weaken FOIA, the state’s Freedom of Information Act.
It was a bad idea when it breezed through the Illinois House and Senate in May with little explanation or debate. Continue>>>
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So how much of your dollars are being spent on providing free college educations for state workers? We don't know ó and that should outrage you. We know that in past budgets the state has spent $5 million on the program known as Upward Mobility.
But if you take a careful look at this year's state budget you'll find that the program has been 'zeroed out' meaning that it appears the state is no longer spending a dime on the program. But appearances can be deceptive, especially when it comes to Illinois state government.
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Read More… from COLUMN: State less than transparent on budget
A state judge has invoked a federal court doctrine to reject a request under New York's Freedom of Information Law for information about police surveillance of a New York City mosque.
Finding no guidance from higher courts in New York, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Alexander Hunter Jr. ruled that New York City Police Department may invoke the "Glomar doctrine" exception under the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to deny an Islamic group's request under the state Freedom of Information Law (FOIL).
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Read More… from NY Court Taps U.S. Doctrine in FOIL Suit Against NYPD
Jon Daniel was watching cartoons with one of his sons when he created a spoof Twitter account in the name of the Peoria mayor. Out of boredom, he said, he soon began sending profane messages about sex, drugs and alcohol.
Daniel never intended for the fake account to be seen by anyone other than his friends, and it never attracted more than a few dozen followers. But within weeks the raunchy parody led to a police raid of his home and ignited a debate about online satire, free speech and the limits of a mayor's power.
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Read More… from Fake Tweets’ Aftermath Stirs Debate About Satire, Freedom of Speech
Federal investigators appear to be looking into actions of the recently dissolved Ford-Iroquois Public Health Department. Responding to a tip, the Paxton Record filed a Freedom of Information Act request on Sept. 5 seeking the disclosure of any federal subpoenas for records that Iroquois County had received relating to the bi-county health department.
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Read More… from Denial of newspaper’s FOIA request confirms investigation into health department
