FOIA - know how to use it?

FOIA - the Freedom of Information Act. Thorn in the side of Government. Tool of the public.

You may have read recently about efforts of the Illinois Attorney General to make FOIA user-friendlier.

The McHenry County State's Attorney's office will conduct a seminar about the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act on Thursday evening, May 14, from 7:00-9:00PM at McHenry Community College in the conference center.

This is your chance to learn about these Acts and to ask your questions.

My first question will be, when government stiffs me on my request to the FOIA officer and then denies my appeal and directs me to Circuit Court, how can I, individually, file my complaint in Circuit Court and get help with the expenses?

And my second question will be, should I expect the denying agency to smoother me with Motions that require a proper legal response, which would drive me out of the arena?

Regarding the Open Meetings Act (OMA), learn when agencies or departments, boards, commissions, etc. of government are violating the OMA and how you can hold their feet to the fire. After all, they are supposed to know the rules and play by them.

Examples of violations:

Holding public meetings by telephone with no committee/commission members present in the meeting room;
Failing to vote in open session on action to be taken following a discussion in Executive Session (they can't vote in private; it has to be in public);
Failing to publish Minutes of Meetings after they are approved.

Apparently, it is not a violation of the OMA to fail to publish Minutes for months after meetings, which keeps the public from knowing what went on.

Thursday at 7:00PM. Be there.