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.”

Statewide Update—Jan. 25, 2011

• Southtown Star—3 area men charged in ‘Cookie Jar’ probe, “A Tinley Park man, an Oak Forest man and a Burbank man, all of whom allegedly took part in a scheme to steal road salt from IDOT, were among seven people charged Monday in an ongoing crackdown on local public corruption.”

• Trib Local (Evanston)—CTA considers chopping two Evanston stations, “As the Chicago Transit Authority seeks community input on potential improvements to the aging Purple and Red lines, three of the agency’s six options include eliminating the South Boulevard and Foster Street stations in Evanston — losses that city officials said would be a blow to commuters.”

• Chicago Tribune—Editorial: Judicial arrogance, “With startling arrogance and audaciously twisted reasoning, two appellate judges ignored more than 100 years of legal precedent, invented a new definition of “residency” and ordered Rahm Emanuel off the Feb. 22 mayoral ballot.”

• Rockford Register Star—Which School(s) could be closed? “Consolidating schools could help the district slash part of its $50 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2012.”

• Trib Local (Wilmette/Kenilworth)—Group formed to push D39 (tax increase) referendum, “If residents of the elementary school district approve the referendum, it would mean an increase of $58.80 for each $1,000 of taxes paid.”

• Daily Herald—East Dundee trustees discuss merits of PD merger, “Citing upcoming police contracts, a loss of autonomy, potential coverage issues and other reasons, several East Dundee trustees are balking at the idea of consolidating their police force with the ones in West Dundee and Sleepy Hollow.”

• Rockford Register Star—Vehicles, EMS among Rockford outsourcing possibilities, “According to a report from Chicago-based Baker Tilly, the consulting firm hired last fall to assist in an outsourcing study, the city could realize up to $10.5 million is savings if it moved forward on five outsourcing and four service delivery suggestions.”