Further public records restrictions on hold
Transparency advocates have started fighting a new plan they say would make it harder and possibly more expensive to get government records.
A Democratic lawmaker Monday declined to call for a vote on a proposal that would make it harder for people who win battles over the Freedom of Information Act to recover attorney fees. Also, more documents related to decisions government officials make would be declared off-limits under the law.
It could come up in the future, perhaps in a different form.
"At a time when we should all be working to increase transparency and accountability in government, this bill takes us backwards," Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a statement.
The sponsor of the plan, state Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie, a Chicago Democrat, said she filed the plan on behalf of Senate Democrats.
"If they want a discussion, I think we certainly have started one," Currie said. "Possibly not just a discussion, a firestorm. But we will see where we go from here."
Currie said she doesn't know if the plan will move forward this week. Lawmakers aren't scheduled to be in Springfield again after this week before a new class is to be sworn in next month. Days could be added, though.
Also this week, Senate lawmakers could consider overriding Gov. Pat Quinn's veto of a different transparency plan aimed at helping government officials handle big and frequent public records requests, giving them more time to comply and allowing them to charge higher fees.
But Lisa Madigan has asked lawmakers to let Quinn's veto stand.