The Northwest Herald Editorial Board offers this week’s thumbs up and thumbs down this week:
Thumbs down: To state Sen. Pam Althoff, who twice voted in favor of House Bill 3796 and chipping away at the state’s Freedom of Information Act. HB 3796 lets governments identify certain FOIA requests as “voluminous.” Then, the government unit can delay providing information and charge between $20 and $100 for electronic data. Althoff, R-McHenry, was a Senate sponsor of the bill. She voted for it last spring and again this week to help override Gov. Pat Quinn’s veto of the bill. State Sens. Karen McConnaughay, R-St. Charles, and Dan Duffy, R-Lake Barrington, also voted “yes” last spring, but smartly changed their votes to “no” this week. In the House, state Reps. Jack Franks, D-Marengo; David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills; Mike Tryon, R-Crystal Lake; and Barb Wheeler, R-Crystal Lake, all voted “no” – twice.
Thumbs up: To those that have donated money and time to helping the Bauman family of Crystal Lake recover from a November barn fire that killed as many as 32 horses. The family said the outpouring of support from the horse community has been “unbelievable” and that they have received sympathy cards from people all over the county. In the wake of tragedy, it’s good to see a community rally around a family that has experienced so much loss. Continue>>>
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