Illinois lawmakers should read laws before they pass them

By Joe Tabor, Jon Josko

04/11/2022

Politicians use a loophole to bypass the Illinois Constitution’s requirement that bills be read on three separate days before they are passed. Instead, they often gut minor bills and put significant legislation in the bills within a day of the vote.

TAGS: budget, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, transparency

How to keep government transparent through Illinois Open Meetings Act

08/18/2021

Most Illinois government meetings are open to the public, with a few exceptions. Here’s what to know about Illinoisans’ rights to see what government is doing by using the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

TAGS: ethics, Open Meetings Act, transparency

‘Transparency’ on Illinois legislative maps begins behind closed doors

05/07/2021

Democratic state lawmakers were given a private look at new Illinois House district maps. Partisan legislative maps and gerrymandering seem to be surviving ‘transparency.’

TAGS: Chris Welch, fair maps, JB Pritzker, legislative district, transparency

Illinois lawmakers tackle balloons, pitchfork fishing, but keep residents in dark on ethics reforms

By Brad Weisenstein

04/27/2021

The Illinois General Assembly busies itself with limiting balloon releases and regulating pitchfork fishing along highways when ethics reform is the need in a state with a rich history of corruption.

TAGS: corruption, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, regulations, transparency

Bill fights Illinois corruption with online access to government spending, records

By Justin Carlson

04/19/2021

Putting the public’s business on public display can help Illinois reform its culture of corruption and control government waste. An Illinois House bill will put more local government records online.

TAGS: corruption, government spending, Illinois, local government, transparency

Greater independence for Illinois’ Legislative Inspector General draws bipartisan support

02/24/2020

Illinois’ Legislative Inspector General currently is subjected to political influence or even silencing by members of the General Assembly.

TAGS: corruption, ethics, Jeff Keicher, Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, Jonathan Carroll, Legislative Ethics Commission, Legislative Inspector General, sexual harrassment, transparency, watchdog

Local government spending could soon be easier for Illinois taxpayers to track

02/24/2020

A bill to make more public records readily available would better show taxpayers how local governments spend money.

TAGS: Anna Moeller, government spending, House Rules Committee, Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal, Open Meetings Act, public records, Steve Stadelman, transparency

Illinois watchdog’s report of ‘serious misconduct’ was ‘squashed’ by panel of lawmakers

By Joe Tabor

02/07/2020

Illinois’ legislative inspector general investigates complaints against state lawmakers, but a commission of their peers can – and did – bury those findings, the former inspector said. A new bill would change that.

TAGS: corruption, ethics, ethics violation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, Jonathan Carroll, Julie Porter, Legislative Ethics Commission, Legislative Inspector General, OEIG: Office of the Executive Inspector General, sexual harrassment, Springfield, transparency, watchdog

Feds indict champion of Illinois gas tax hike, ‘fair tax’ on tax fraud and bribery

By Vincent Caruso

01/27/2020

The former chair of the influential Senate Transportation Committee is the fourth Illinois politician indicted on federal charges amid a sweeping FBI probe.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal, federal government, federal investigation, fraud, gas tax, graduated income tax, graduation rate, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Legislative Inspector General, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, Mike Madigan, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, SafeSpeed, Senate Transportation Committee, Smart Scale, Springfield, tax fraud, transparency, waste, watchdog

FBI investigating suburban Illinois township road commissioner

By Vincent Caruso

01/24/2020

An ongoing corruption probe targeting Illinois officeholders has shown there’s no unit of government too small to invite the attention of federal investigators.

TAGS: Bloomingdale Township, corruption, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, transparency