HOUSE BILL 3796 SEEKING TO MAKE FOIA CHANGES: The Herald Tribune wishes to make its readers aware of a bill currently making its way through the Illinois Legislature that could have a profound effect on holding government and public officials accountable. Here is what the Illinois Press Association, of which the Herald Tribune is a member of, has written about the situation: In 2009, in the wake of the Blagojevich travesties, the General Assembly passed a re-write of the Freedom of Information Act. It was hailed by the Governor, constitutional officers of both parties, and members of the General Assembly as ‘historic’, and designed to bring accountability and transparency to Illinois. The elements of that re-write, highlighted by Speaker Mike Madigan, the sponsor of the bill, included shortening the response time from seven to five days, requiring all public bodies to have trained FOIA officers, including a provision to make mandatory an award of attorneys fees for requesters who prevailed on their requests, and include an award of civil penalties for public bodies who willfully violate the Act. These changes were made, according to the Speaker, to demonstrate to public bodies that the General Assembly was very serious about this effort to bring greater transparency to government. Now, five years later, lawmakers are looking to tinker with the law, starting with giving governmental entities more time to respond to FOIA requests from everyday citizens and charge those citizens up to $100 per request. This legislation already passed the House and Senate, but Gov. Pat Quinn vetoed it, stating it would reduce transparency. On Nov. 19, the House voted 77-36 in favor of overriding the veto. It now goes to the state Senate, where a three-fifths majority is needed to override the veto. The bill is being sponsored by State Rep. Barbara Currie (D-Chicago), who sees it as a way for municipalities to address FOIA requests considered to be spiteful or harassing. Non-profit organizations, academic institutions and the news media are exempt from the changes, but one of the duties of the Herald Tribune is to keep its readership informed on such situations.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Nov 2014 05:06:21 +0000