Transparency-improving bill on Illinois governor's desk
From Sunshine Review
August 11, 2009 Illinois Governor Quinn currently has a bill on his desk that would help improve the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and the Illinois Open Meetings Act. The governor signed the bill into law on August 18, 2009 and it will take effect January 1, 2010.
[edit] Senate Bill 189
This Senate Bill that has been passed on to the Governor as of June 26, 2009, amends the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. It requires that an applicant (for gubernatorial appointment to boards, commissions, authorities, and task forces) must provide specified documents to the Governor's Office of Boards and Commissions, the Office must hold a public hearing before appointing or nominating an applicant, the Office must provide to the Senate specific information on all applicants nominated for Senate confirmation, and the Office must post specified information on its website about appointment requirements, applicants, and appointees.
The bill requires all applicants and appointees to file statements of economic interests. As of now, only nominees for and appointees to positions requiring Senate confirmation must file statements. These changes would be effective immediately.[1]
[edit] FOIA grades
The Better Government Association (BGA) and National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) have got together to grade the FOIA process of all 50 states. Their concern is that the laws might be good in certain states, but if the facilities are not efficient or equipped to provide the information, the laws are practically useless.
"This national study shows that in the vast majority of states, citizens have little to no recourse when faced with unlawful denial of access under their state's FOI laws," said Charles N. Davis, executive director of the National Freedom of Information Coalition, based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. "It's a cry for reform of FOI laws nationwide."
Executive Director Jay Stewart of BGA and his researchers studied all 50 state public records laws. No state earned better than Nebraska's and New Jersey’s 14 out of a possible 16 total check points. There were 38 states earned F ratings and the other 10 states earned Cs and Ds.
"The Freedom of Information Act is an incredibly important tool in helping citizens understand how their government works," said Stewart. "Just as states compete amongst each other to be the best in education, business environment and tax policy, the states should compete to be the best in responding to citizens' requests for public information, information they pay for with their tax dollars."
The letter grades were determined from the percentage of check points the states accomplished: 90-100%, A; 80-89%, B; 70-79%, C; 60-69%, D; less than 60%, F.[2]
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