Illinois's Freedom of Information Act: More Access or More Hurdles?

Although the 2009 amendments to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) were intended to increase government transparency, the amendments lack the necessary sanctions, neutral oversight, and incentives for compliance with the Act. The purpose of enacting such "Sunshine" laws is to simplify the road to public access and rebuild public trust in government. This purpose has not yet been realized in Illinois. This Comment argues that sanctions against public bodies should be strengthened in order to increase compliance with the Act, that a cost-effective path to enforcement of the law should be created in order to increase incentives for citizens to enforce their right to know, and that an independent review board should be formed to handle FOIA requests.