Open Illinois.org

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What is your school district spending money on?

Check out some new spending data available on our spending transparency website, IllinoisOpenGov.org.

We have included school vendor information for you to check out! We’ll also be updating current information …

Check out this revealing (and entertaining) story by Chicago Reader’s Ben Joravsky about the maze of Chicago Public Schools spending and the difficulties in figuring out exactly where all the tax dollars are going and why.

Joravsky’s piece, “A …

The Quincy Herald Whig reports Alderman Paul Havermale, R-3, has initiated talks about bringing more transparency to city government in Quincy, “asking city officials to consider some steps to increase “transparency” in city government.” 

Havermale remarked, “With as …

Prompting bad precedent?

The Chicago Tribune’s Clout St. Street reports:

The Illinois Senate plans to meet behind closed doors this morning to hear a presentation by experts about state budgets and the national economy, a move that open government advocates

…

Batman, car racing, and giant tubs for bass fishing…see what we found in our 2010 Piglet Book, detailing some of the wasteful spending going on in Illinois.

Highlights include:

• $6,500 for a tub of live bass. The state paid

…

Ryan Keith from the GateHouse News Service reports “Gov. Pat Quinn wants more time to give his budget address — and promises to give a public glimpse of the state’s budget situation before that.”

Although state law requires Quinn to …

The public may start seeing more transparency from school districts soon, according to the Sun-Times.

One new piece of legislation (SB2270), introduced by Senators Dan Cronin, Kirk W. Dillard, Chris Lauzen and John J. Millner…

A reminder to all candidates and current members of the House and Senate:

All who are committed to supporting transparency in government are welcome and encouraged to sign the Illinois Policy Institute’s Transparency Pledge, which you can find here: …

Liberty Leader Scott O’Connell sent us a copy of this letter below, which is from a gentleman who sued to obtain access to the Wheaton School District 200 superintendent’s salary. This should highlight and provide yet another reason why transparency …

Open Illinois?

Governor Quinn has spoken about his support for transparency in the past…why is he waiting to sign the Illinois Accountability Portal (HB35), which awaits his signature after passing both the House and Senate in a unanimous vote?

Take …