Uh oh, Lisa Madigan has done it now - she's called for a reform of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.  If you've ever tried to extract information from a government official in Illinois - and I'm talking PUBLIC information - you'll know why the IFOIA is one of the most insincerely named laws on the books.

I've had two run-ins with this act in recent years while attempting to research stories.  One was with the Douglas County State's Attorney office, involving the abuse of a nursing home resident, and the Illinois Department of Public Health's bungling manner of handling the licensure of CNA's.  I was flatly turned down to see the case file without filing a FOIA request - for a case in which a judgment had already been rendered.  Insanity.

The second instance was even more insane.  I was researching a story on the achievement on standardized tests around the state. This report is NOT available on-line, and in fact, only summaries of the statewide data are available to the public.  However, there IS a district-by-district analysis compiled.  But laying your hands on it... another matter.

After numerous unreturned phone calls, to the Education czar appointed by King Rod, I finally filed an FOIA.  Which went totally unanswered.

Which brings us to the root of the problem.  The current IFOIA has NO teeth in it.  If a government official decides, for whatever reason, to disregard a request his penalty is - that someone like me will reveal it to the public.  And that's it.  No fines.  No criminal charges.  Nothing.

Madigan wants to change that, and cut out the variety of loopholes in the law.  And the Republicans, for who knows WHAT reason, are balking at this?