Ensuring Open and Honest Government

“It is the public policy of this State that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their business.”
Illinois Open Meetings Act, 5 ILCS 120/1.

“Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees consistent with the terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest.”
Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140/1.

Attorney General Lisa Madigan believes that an open, honest and accountable government, the cornerstone of a democracy, can only be achieved through the free and open exchange of information between government and the public. In Illinois, our most important transparency laws – the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA) – endeavor to open the workings of government to the public, shed light on government actions, and, in the process, strengthen our democracy.

Recently, Attorney General Madigan worked with legislators and open government advocates to draft and pass landmark legislation (Senate Bill 189, Public Act 096-0542) to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act and Open Meetings Act to increase the transparency and accountability of governments at all levels. This new law makes it easier to enforce FOIA and OMA and fight for open and accountable government by making permanent the Public Access Counselor position within the Attorney General’s Office and provides the Public Access Counselor with the authority to issue binding opinions to resolve FOIA and OMA disputes. In addition, the new law closes loopholes in FOIA that made it hard for the public to access government records and, for the first time, establishes significant civil penalties for FOIA violations.

The new law will take effect on January 1, 2010. In the coming weeks and months, we will be providing detailed information to educate the public and officials and employees of government bodies on the new law. We encourage you to check this site routinely as new materials are made available. Today, please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on FOIA.

In addition, we are providing a series of free seminars on the recent changes to the transparency laws. Please note that the seminars are for informational purposes only—attending a seminar will not fulfill the training requirements for FOIA Officers and designated employees and officials under OMA. We will provide electronic training programs to fulfill those training requirements under the new law. Space at the free informational seminars is limited, so please RSVP immediately if you would like to attend.

We look forward to working with you to strengthen the transparency laws and ensure that our government is open, accessible and accountable to all the people of Illinois.

Ensuring Open and Honest Government links and documents:

Illinois Freedom of Information Act

Federal Freedom of Information Act

Federal Freedom of Information Act

Public Access Counselor Annual Reports

Ethics and Public Integrity

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