Statewide update—March 10, 2011

Peoria Journal Star—FOIA access could be curbed; Committee Oks measure giving officials discretion on ‘vexatious’ requests, “Local government officials said it is intended to deal with members of the public who file excessive requests under the Freedom of Information Act as a form of harassment.”

Trib Local (Tinley Park)— Tinley Park to begin posting public records requests, names online, “We’re hoping through publication, and not just the citizens, but the individuals in their mind’s eye, rethink, and not stop asking for FOIAs, but limit them to what they think are important to them.”

• Daily Herald—Island lake mayor to sue trustees over ‘power grabs’, “The lawsuit also will seek an injunction to stop the four trustees, who represent a majority of the six-member board, from dismissing its long-standing law firm, [Ancel Glink] and hiring a suburban law firm to represent the town.”

• State Journal Register—Quinn ends death penalty, commutes prisoners’ death sentences, “We have tried over and over again to come up with a perfect system that makes no mistakes with respect to carrying out the death penalty, and we have found over and over again mistakes have been made and innocent people have been freed,’ Quinn said.”

• Chicago Sun-Times—Ex-Todd Stroger aide gets jobless pay despite corruption charge, “A former top Cook County official awaiting trial on public corruption charges has been collecting unemployment benefits despite her arrest, county officials confirmed Wednesday.”

 

Statewide update—March 9, 2011

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SouthtownStar—Tinley Park advances FOI plan, “Chilling effect? No,’ he said. ‘I’m trying to get around extensive amounts of FOIs and frivolous FOIs…Rea insisted that publicizing FOI requests was not intended to be a deterrent for seeking public information, but he acknowledged wanting to free his staff from sending so much time on them.”

• (AP) State Journal Register—Blagojevich asks judge to cancel retrial, sentence him on conviction, “The impeached former governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, asked a judge on Wednesday to cancel his retrial and promptly sentence him on the sole conviction from his first trial, arguing that money woes prevent him from mounting an ample defense.”

• Daily Herald—Mayor, trustees tussle over law firm, “[Ancel Glink] told trustees Illinois law empowers mayors — not village boards — to appoint legal counsel. In a memo, he said his firm was prepared to disregard the board’s vote and continue providing legal services.”

• WBEZ—Illinois law aims to protect minority voting rights, “One of the purposes of the law is to make sure our racial minorities, our language minorities, our citizens who live in a particular area, get a fair chance to elect the person of their choice.”