In a Dec. 18 letter to the Chicago City Council, BGA policy director Marie C. Dillon urged aldermen to support an ordinance that prohibits city officials from lobbying other governments on behalf of paying clients. The measure also prohibits officials from state and local governments from lobbying the city.
The measure was approved. The letter is shared below.
For first-time watchers, Chicago’s City Council can seem incomprehensible. Most of the business is done in a routine, rapid-fire succession of votes and gavel raps, punctuated by repetitions of the phrase, “hearing no objections, so ordered.” Following along – and knowing when to watch for contested votes, floor debates and other things that impact the…
A unanimous Illinois Supreme Court ruling yesterday in a case called Chapman v. Chicago reverses a lower court’s ruling and blocks plaintiff Matt Chapman’s open records request for information from the City of Chicago’s Department of Finance. The court’s ruling undermines the public’s right to know about the workings of government and is a threat…
The Better Government Association has announced that three new members are joining its board of directors. With backgrounds in media, finance, and communications, the new board members bring years of experience and leadership to help the BGA move into its second century of fighting for greater transparency, equity and accountability in government in Chicago and…
The Better Government Association is a nonprofit media organization with a mission is to achieve transparency, equity and accountability in government. Our organization has been in existence for almost 100 years vigorously pursuing its mission by producing investigative journalism, advocating for good-government reform, litigating to defend public access to information, and mobilizing the public to…
