https://illinoisopengov.org/ Shining a light on Illinois government, record by record en Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:37:39 GMT https://illinoisopengov.org/illinois-legislators-lobbyist-revolving-door-records/ https://illinoisopengov.org/illinois-legislators-lobbyist-revolving-door-records/ When Illinois lawmakers leave office, the cooling-off clock starts — but the records that would show whether it is honored are scattered across three separate databases. We cross-referenced lobbying registrations with committee assignments and state contracts to build a timeline of the most glaring overlaps. Illinois Open Gov Open Records Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:16:42 GMT https://illinoisopengov.org/illinois-property-tax-allocation-county-map/ https://illinoisopengov.org/illinois-property-tax-allocation-county-map/ Property tax bills in Illinois arrive as a single intimidating number, but behind it sits a patchwork of levies spanning school districts, townships, and special service areas. We combed county-level levy data to show exactly where the money goes — and where the patterns get strange. Illinois Open Gov Government Spending Fri, 06 Nov 2026 00:16:42 GMT https://illinoisopengov.org/posted-at-midnight-open-meetings-violations-illinois-townships/ https://illinoisopengov.org/posted-at-midnight-open-meetings-violations-illinois-townships/ From agendas that appear hours before gavel to minutes that never surface at all, Illinois' smallest boards are quietly failing the state's most basic transparency law. We reviewed notice practices across dozens of local bodies and built a checklist any resident can use to push back. Illinois Open Gov Open Records Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:14:54 GMT https://illinoisopengov.org/the-last-year-lift-pension-spikes-patronage-illinois/ https://illinoisopengov.org/the-last-year-lift-pension-spikes-patronage-illinois/ Illinois' pension databases tell a story the payroll records don't: salaries that leap 30, 40, even 60 percent in a final year of service, converting political loyalty into lifetime annuities. This is an argument for treating pension math as public math — in real time, not in retrospect. Illinois Open Gov Government Spending Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:14:54 GMT https://illinoisopengov.org/illinois-foia-delays-and-how-to-file-your-own/ https://illinoisopengov.org/illinois-foia-delays-and-how-to-file-your-own/ From a request that languished for two years to a denial issued on a technicality, these five Illinois public records battles show how easily the system can stall. The good news: filing an effective FOIA request takes less time than making a cup of coffee, and we walk you through it step by step. Illinois Open Gov Open Records Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:15:34 GMT https://illinoisopengov.org/tracing-illinois-biggest-2024-state-contracts/ https://illinoisopengov.org/tracing-illinois-biggest-2024-state-contracts/ Illinois awarded billions in state contracts last year, but how many went through genuine competitive bidding? We cross-referenced procurement records with lobbying registrations and campaign finance filings to show readers exactly how the money moved — and how to run the same checks themselves. Illinois Open Gov Government Spending Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:15:34 GMT