From Citizen Advocacy Center:
Statement by Citizen Advocacy Center to the Senate State Government and Veterans Subcommittee on Economic Development Hearing on Senate Bill 2
Delivered by Maryam Judar, Community Lawyer, April 4, 2013
On behalf of the Citizen Advocacy Center, I thank you for the opportunity to present testimony at this hearing opposing Senate Bill 2 as amended, entitled “The Illinois Business and Economic Advocacy and Development Act of 2013.”
[…]
This bill is not “real reform” from the citizen engagement perspective.
Senate Bill 2 itself refers to the “public purpose of economic development in Illinois,” and yet the public will be kept in the dark about much of the activities of the Illinois Business and Economic Development Corporation created therein because the Corporation is not subject to Illinois Sunshine laws. Currently, non-profit organizations that perform traditional government functions are not covered by either the Illinois Freedom of Information Act or the Open Meetings Act. The Corporation is meant to assume part of the role that is currently held by the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which is clearly a public body under Illinois Sunshine laws.
Please find the complete testimony here [PDF/974KB].
The Citizen Advocacy Center is a member of NFOIC. –eds