Illinoisans should not need insider access or paid subscriptions to see their government at work.

Across most of the country, residents can easily watch, search, and review legislative proceedings online on their own time. In Illinois, that basic level of transparency has long been missing, leaving the public behind while other states and even local governments provide basic online archives. 

Early last year, BGA Policy took a clear and direct step to expand transparency in Illinois government. We sent a formal letter to the Speaker of the Illinois House and the President of the Illinois Senate urging both chambers to modernize their websites and provide free, searchable online archives of House and Senate floor and committee proceedings, joining the 44 other states that already offer this access to the public. We followed that letter with meetings and conversations with legislative leadership and staff to press the case for why this reform matters for the people of Illinois.

We are proud to report that this advocacy has led to concrete commitments from both chambers. The Speaker of the Illinois House responded, calling BGA’s request “transformative” and directing senior staff and the Clerk of the House to work with legislative support agencies to make free House floor and committee archives a reality. Shortly thereafter, the President of the Illinois Senate confirmed that improving the General Assembly’s website and creating an accessible archive of Senate proceedings is an active priority, welcoming BGA’s research and guidance on best practices from other jurisdictions.

These commitments reflect the impact of sustained advocacy. While work remains to ensure these promises are fully implemented, this is an important step toward bringing Illinois in line with the majority of the country and making legislative transparency a reality for everyone.

We commend the Speaker and President for making these commitments to the people of Illinois. 

BGA Policy will continue to stay engaged, provide research support and hold leaders accountable as this effort moves forward. We are proud that our work helped drive this progress, and we remain committed to making state government more open, accessible, and accountable for the people of Illinois.

Please read both letters from the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate here: