Statistics, an old editor once said, can be squirrely things. His favorite example was this – if you have 10 women in a room and one woman is pregnant and the other nine are virgins, statistically, all 10 are 10 percent pregnant and 90 percent virgins. To this day, I […]
The following article, which was published in July 3 The Daily Herald, chronicles an action taken by Gov. Pat Quinn based on information received through the Freedom of Information Act by For the Good of Illinois. Email prompts Quinn to withhold $20 million in funding for COD By Robert Sanchez The College of […]
The Citizens Advocacy Center today is calling for support to block an attempt by the state legislature to override Gov. Quinn’s veto of HB 3796. “As we suspected, it looks likely that the Illinois General Assembly will attempt to override the Governor’s veto on HB 3796 and may be brought up for […]
In a ruling with important implications for newspapers and the public throughout Illinois, on November 18 DuPage Circuit Court Judge Dorothy French Mallen dismissed a defamation lawsuit [DuPage case number 14 L 413] filed by Winfield Village Trustee Tony Reyes against his community’s struggling sole newspaper, The Winfield Express. The […]
As reported in the Chicago Sun-Times State appeals court: Reporter will not have to disclose source Sam Charles @samjcharles | email A reporter previously held in contempt of court while covering a grisly Joliet double-homicide will not have to disclose his source, a state appeals court ruled Monday. The court reversed […]
A bill filed Feb. 27 by Illinois House Representaives Christian Mitchell (D-26) and Barbara Flynn Currie (D-25) would require police and security departments operated by private colleges and universities to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. HB3932 provides an amendment to the Private College Campus Police Act http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=011010200K1 requiring those […]
Advocates for public access and transparent government are voicing opposition to a bill that would place restrictions on FOIA requests regarding public facilities’ finances when they rent out space. Rep. Robert Rita (D-28) is the sponsor of HB 3621 which calls for further restrictions to the Illinois’ Freedom of Information […]
If you have an opinion about how the Streamwood Park District does things, it may be wise to keep it yourself if you want additional information. According to an investigation by the Better Government Association, “…The northwest suburban agency repeatedly ordered board members and staff not to talk to a […]
The Chicago Headline Club has received a two-year, $25,000 grant from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation to support FOIAFest. The Headline Club’s annual daylong conference leads up to Sunshine Week and aims to celebrate the importance of access to public information. “This grant will allow the Headline Club to broaden […]
Need helping defraying the cost of investigative stories, say an airline ticket or a FOIA request? We want to help. We have grants available, thanks to the generosity of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. Apply by April 29 for up to $575, or by July 29 for up to $2,000. […]
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