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Local government transparency bill advances in Illinois House
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A bill that would increase transparency for some Illinois municipalities and school districts has passed its first hurdle on the way to potentially becoming law. The bill, which passed a House committee on Thursday, would require units of local government and school districts with a budget of $1 million or more to maintain a website where they would post information regarding their annual budget, employee compensation and other financial matters. The legislation would also create a Freedom of Information Act request exemption for any information that is available on the website. Peter Breen, a village trustee for Lombard who submitted written testimony in favor of the bill, said the FOIA exemption would be a cost saver for many municipalities. "When you put regularly requested information online and it's exempted from Freedom of Information Act requests you will save money by reducing staff time required to answer those FOIA requests," he said. While there was no opposition at the committee meeting, state Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, who voted in favor of sending the bill to the House, asked what the cost to municipalities and school districts would be for creating and maintaining a website. State Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, who sponsored the bill, said setting up the website would be relatively inexpensive. "It's very easy to set up a website these days and a lot of them cost almost nothing to maintain," she said. Breen agreed. "The fight against transparency is not about cost or difficulty," he said. "It's about willingness to be accountable to the people." Increased accountability from local governments is important to Breen. "At this time where the public is less confident in government than ever before, we as government officials need to be more accountable," he said. "Modern technology allows us to put government documents online and we should use these technologies to bring the government closer to the people and increase our accountability to the people." Breen also said he believes that those who might oppose the bill don't want to give the public access tomore information on government finances. "They don't want people to know how the money is spent or how much a particular person is being paid," he said. "That attitude was never right, but now when we have so much corruption and waste weneed transparency to hold the government accountable." The bill passed the committee 5-0 and will move to the House for a vote. 
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Today is Friday, May 24, the 144th day of 2013. There are 221 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A military escort will be at the square at 9 a.m. tomorrow forthe funeral of Lieut. Joseph Eaton. The county judge is absent in Chicago, which willaccount for his not being in the procession.
1888 -- 125 years ago: Rock Island's City Council last night appropriated $95,000 forexpenses for the 1888 and 1889 fiscal year.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Mrs. F.W. Reimers last night was re-elected president of the RockIsland Musical Club at a meeting in the New Harper Hotel.
1938 -- 75 years ago: Seven members of Boy Scout Troop 21 got their Eagle badges lastnight. They were Ralph Hurt, Robert Nelson, Howard Schersten, Cecil Nelson, RobertFryxell, Clarence Stone and Rollin Hurt.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Mayor Morris Muhleman has resorted to a form letter in an effort toanswer objections to the wheel tax increase. "It was my hope that I could, in some way,restore the faith of the citizens in our city. In order to do this I knew I must face the factthat I would become very unpopular."All they are trying to do is protect the citizensproperty and build their town.
1988 -- 25 years ago: RICCA, the Rock Island County Council on Addictions, inconjunction with the Quad City Downs, will hold its annual "Night at the Races" June 2.The benefit "Night at the Races" will raise funds locally to assist in maintaining the twohalfway houses, New Hope Lodge (for women) and Beacon House (for men).
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