A notice on the Chicago city clerk’s website Tuesday announced the postponement until further notice of proposed rules restricting public access to City Council’s gallery seating. The postponement followed warnings […]
Policy Statements
Posted inPolicy Statements
New Rules Inhibit Public Attendance at Council Meetings
After weeks of confusion, written rules for public attendance at Chicago City Council meetings have been published on the City Clerk’s website. The Better Government Association believes the new rules […]
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Mayor Johnson’s Proposed FOP Contract Obtained by BGA Policy
A collective bargaining agreement between the City of Chicago and the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents the city’s rank-and-file police officers, is scheduled for a vote today in City […]
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BGA Notifies Johnson Administration of Possible Open Meetings Act Violations
The Honorable Brandon Johnson Mayor, City of Chicago CC: Alvin Starks City Council Sergeant-at-Arms Chairwoman Michelle Harris Committee on Committees and Rules December 2, 2023 Dear Mayor Johnson: In […]
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Unwritten Rules Limit City Council Gallery Seating; Reserve Prime Spots for “Invitation Only”
Free and equitable access to City Council meetings is a basic bulwark of our civic democracy. Any changes to policy and procedures should be undertaken only with public input and […]
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Policy: BGA Condemns Improper Adjournments of City Council Meetings
There’s a democratic process, and it isn’t “Turn off the lights and mics”
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BGA Supports Proposed Improvements to Inspector General Appointment Process
More open and accountable rules will strengthen government oversight
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Better Government Association Statement: Supreme Court FOIA Ruling Limits Transparency; Significantly Broadens Exemptions to FOIA
A unanimous Illinois Supreme Court ruling yesterday in a case called Chapman v. Chicago reverses a lower court’s ruling and blocks plaintiff Matt Chapman’s open records request for information from the City of Chicago’s Department of Finance. The court’s ruling undermines the public’s right to know about the workings of government and is a threat to research, journalism and the public interest.
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“ComEd Four” Trial Underscores Need for Strengthened Ethics Reforms
In response to today’s guilty verdict in the federal corruption of former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, lobbyist Mike McClain, former ComEd lobbyist John Hooker, and former lobbyist and City Club […]
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Chicago’s City Council is Ready for a Reorg – and New Members Should Have Their Say
The Better Government Association and the League of Women Voters of Chicago support a more independent Chicago City Council, but caution against letting the current body set the rules for the incoming membership.