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Transparency is threatened once again in Illinois.
Two editorials published this week at Quad-Cities Online cite a CAC survey of over 750 public websites in Illinois as one reason that HB261, this Illinois lack of public notice bill, is a terrible idea. HB261 proposes to eliminate public notices from newspapers (and from PublicNoticeIllinois.com where every public notice published in newspapers around the state is posted). It would allow notices to be posted ONLY on individual government websites. CAC survey results showed that despite public notices on websites, many government bodies do not comply. Only 73% posted notices of meetings, 57% posted meeting agendas, and 48% posted meeting minutes. The changes proposed by HB261 would make it difficult, if not impossible, for local citizens to act as watchdogs over their tax dollars and to monitor the more than 7,000 public bodies in Illinois. The bill's sponsor claims modernization and access will result. Yet many Illinois residents do not have access to high-speed internet. Please read the editorials: Illinois public notice bill terrible for state's taxpayers and Public notices need to be noticed to be effective and contact your state legislators to let them know you oppose HB261. An editorial in the Quad-Cities Online yesterday cites the results of a CAC survey, conducted in conjunction with the Illinois Press Association, of over 750 public websites in Illinois as one reason that the proposed Illinois public notice bill would be terrible for state's taxpayers. The upshot is that HB261 would eliminate public notices from newspapers and allow them to be posted on government websites. This change would make it much harder for local citizens to act as watchdogs over public bodies and tax dollars. Read the editorial here. For more information, contact
Maryam Judar, executive director Citizen Advocacy Center (630) 833-4083 (office) MJudar@CitizenAdvocacyCenter.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – STALE AFTER THURSDAY, 5 FEBRUARY 2015 Last Call for School, Local Candidates is ThursdayMany Seats Still Available No candidates have filed for 5% of the seats on city councils, village, school, park, library, and fire boards in DuPage County, and for another 58% of those seats, there are candidates with no opposition, but there is still time to register as a write-in candidate, says the Citizen Advocacy Center. “Under Illinois law, any write-in votes cast in the April 7 election are ignored unless the candidate has first registered as a write-in candidate for that office,” said Maryam Judar, executive director of the non-profit civic group that assists citizens in dealing with local government. “The deadline is this Thursday,” she added. To register as a write-in candidate, a form available at the DuPage Election Commission, 421 County Farm Rd. in Wheaton must be filed with that office before 4:30 p.m. on February 5. Prospective write-in candidates are welcome to contact the Citizen Advocacy Center at (630) 833-4083) for more information. Write-ins can register until Thursday February 5 for any office on the ballot, whether there are already filed candidates or not. No Candidates At All These offices have at least one seat open but no filed candidates running for it, so the winner will be someone who has filed as a write-in candidate: Board of Education Member Fenton HS-100, Westmont U-201, Bensonville G-2, Roselle G-12 (2 openings), Bloomingdale G-13, Winfield G-34. Library Trustee Clarendon Hills (2 openings), Fountaindale, Indian Prairie, Lisle (2 openings), Poplar Creek, Roselle, Winfield (2 openings). Park District Commissioner Hanover Park, Pick Subdivision, Wheaton. Candidates with No Opposition These city, village, and other offices have some candidates with no competition, but write-in candidates can still register until Thursday February 5. City Mayor / Village President Carol Stream, Clarendon Hills, Wayne, Wheaton, Wood Dale. City or Village Clerk Clarendon Hills, Darien, Oak Brook, Wood Dale. City Treasurer Darien, Wood Dale. City Alderman / Village Trustee Addison, Aurora, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Darien, Elmhurst, Glendale Heights, Hanover Park, Hinsdale, Itasca, Lemont, Lombard, Oakbrook Terrace, Roselle, St. Charles, Warrenville, Wayne, West Chicago, Westmont, Willowbrook, Wood Dale. Board of Education Member U-201, U-203, HS-94, HS-100, HS-210, G-2, G-4, G-7, G-12, G-13, G-15, G-16, G-20, G-33, G-34, G-48, G-53, G-58, G-61, G-62, G-63, G-66, G-89, G-93, G-180. Park Commissioner Bloomingdale, Brookeridge, Burr Ridge, Butterfield, Carol Stream, Darien, Downers Grove, Glen Elley Countryside, Golfview Hills, Itasca, Lemont, Lisle, Lombard, Medinah, Oakbrook Terrace, Roselle, Tri-State, Wards Creek, Warrenville, Winfield, Wood Dale, York Center. Library Trustee Addision, Bartlett, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Glen Ellyn, Glenside, Hinsdale, Itasca, Lemont, Villa Park, Warrenville, West Chicago, Westmont, Woodridge, Wood Dale. Fire District Trustee Addison, Bartlett, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Darien-Woodridge, Glenside, Itasca, Lemont, Pleasantview, Tri-State, Wood Dale. CAC joins with like-minded individuals and organizations in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States in the case of ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE, Appellant, v. ARIZONA INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING COMMISSION, ET AL., Appellees. in efforts to preserve independent state redistricting committees.
Read the brief here. |
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