Clout St: Illinois Senate holds private meeting at statehouse

Lawmakers barred reporters from the meeting, saying it was a joint gathering of the Democratic and Republican caucuses that was not required to be public under the state Constitution or open meetings law.

Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago….dismissed the idea that allowing the entire Senate to hear a briefing from the National Conference of State Legislatures on state budgets and the economy should be open. He said he wanted reporters to see the information but that it would be presented in a press conference afterward.

Yeah, you're right. We've never had it before. I'm proud of it because we're trying to bring people together socially and in the working atmosphere," Cullerton said. "So I'm not trying to keep the media out of our business. You can ask anybody what they want to afterward, what they think, what the materials were."

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