Open Illinois.org

Thomas Jefferson once said, “Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” The newspapers would have made Jefferson proud today.  Speaker Pelosi announced that all House spending records are to be posted online as soon as possible.  Surely expository articles from papers like the Wall Street Journal and others should take credit for unearthing irresponsible spending from the ’09 fiscal year.

Pressure like that from the WSJ brought about progress on the national level today; imagine what it could do for Illinois.  Last week, SB 189 (an open records/Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) amendment bill) was approved by both chambers. While it certainly falls short of some expectations, it does accomplish many needed goals: mandating FOIA exclusions, shortening the amount of time bureaucrats have to respond to requests, and formalizing the office of Public Access Counselor (PAC) to enforce such requirements.

Let’s be honest for a second, though.  How many of us are going to send some snail mail into Springfield to get spending records for our representative?  Not me.  This is the 21st century–let’s utilize that wonderful things called the internet to make Illinois finances more than just available, but accessible.  HB 35 can make that happen.

Illinois newspapers, it’s your turn.  Keep the pressure on, and keep writing.