Instead of filing a lawsuit, members of the public can ask the Public Access Bureau in the Illinois Attorney General's Office to review withheld documents or meetings complaints, to make sure government bodies are not violating the Freedom of Information Act or the Open Meetings Act.
The Public Access Bureau dealt with 1,806 such appeals from the public and 159 from the media in 2010.
Click on the following for more details: Public takes advantage of changes to open government laws
Madigan's office filed a motion to stay the judgment while the state prepares an appeal it plans to file by Feb. 14.
An appellate court ruled this week that the law raising taxes on liquor and candy and allowing video gambling is unconstitutional. Justices decreed it violates a rule against bills covering more than a single subject.
Click on the following for more details: Attorney General Madigan wants high court to stay ruling on state's $31B construction plan | Government | Crain's Chicago Business
Interesting essay concerning NY Times collaboration with the UK’s Guardian on the Wikileaks project starting in 2008.
Bill Keller is the executive editor of The New York Times. This essay is adapted from his introduction to “Open Secrets: WikiLeaks, War and American Diplomacy: Complete and Expanded Coverage from The New York Times,” an ebook available for purchase at nytimes.com/opensecrets.
Click on the following to read this interesting article: The Times's Dealings With Julian Assange - NYTimes.com
Click on the above photocopy to enlarge.
Above was taken from The Belvidere Daily Republican Online: http://www.belvideredailyrepublican.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5930:boone-county-real-estate-transactions-recorded-jan-17-21&catid=108:boone-county&Itemid=510
Economist Krugman replies to Representative Ryan’s dubious assertions about employment, health care” and its relationship to the Republican view of Europe
Mr. Ryan made highly dubious assertions about employment, health care and moreAmerican conservatives have long had their own private Europe of the imagination — a place of economic stagnation and terrible health care, a collapsing society groaning under the weight of Big Government. The fact that Europe isn’t actually like that — did you know that adults in their prime working years are more likely to be employed in Europe than they are in the United States? —
truth was that in 2006-2007 Ireland was running a budget surplus, and had one of the lowest debt levels in the advanced world. So what went wrong? The answer is: out-of-control banks….
Click on the following for Mr. Krugman’s editorial: Their Own Private Europe - NYTimes.com
More information on the wind project.
Representatives from the Dublin-based Mainstream Renewable Power met Jan. 19 with Boone County officials to speak about their plans for development in the county’s northeast corner. However, research has been under way since 2009.
The company hopes to locate 100 wind turbines on upward of 12,000 acres, and it’s prepared to begin the permitting process in 2012, if not sooner, said Matt Boss of Mainstream Renewable Power.
Click on the following for more details: Irish firm's plans on track for Boone County wind farm - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star
