August 21, 2009

Springfield, Ill. – A new law intended to increase public access to state records and information received widespread support from the public, the media and good government groups when it was signed by the governor this week, said Senator Cronin. 

Cronin explained that the state’s FOIA laws have been criticized for lacking the teeth to force government to comply with FOIA requests. The new law will enact strict rules, reduce the time deadline for government entities to respond to FOIA requests, drastically scale back possible FOIA exemptions, and penalize governments with fines if they are found to have intentionally violated the law.

August 19, 2009

A detailed review of legal requirements was the primary focus of the second in a series of hearings on Illinois’ partisan system of gerrymandering state legislative and congressional districts. Lawmakers heard from redistricting experts from Minnesota and from the National Conference of State Legislatures at the hearing in Springfield on Tuesday, August 18.

A third hearing is planned for Peoria on Sept. 16. At the hearing, the Senate Committee on Redistricting is expected to turn its attention to needed reforms, including the recommendations of Governor Quinn’s non-partisan Illinois Reform Commission.