Madigan pushing revisions to disclosure law

SPRINGFIELD -- Attorney General Lisa Madigan is backing legislation intended to improve Illinois' public-records disclosure law.

The rewrite of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act would result in governmental bodies that fail to comply with a disclosure request being fined $100 to $1,000.

Other provisions would place the burden on the governmental body in proving a particular record is not subject to public disclosure, and protect government employees from retaliation if the employee wants to properly disclose public records.

The rewrite would also authorize judges to order governmental bodies to pay attorneys' fees for anyone who goes to court to fight a public-records denial and ultimately wins the case.

Attorney Roger Huebner of the Illinois Municipal League says the legislation appears to complicate the act.

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