To recognize the need for governmental transparency concerning their constituents during “sunshine week,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul is doing his part to ensure Illinoians see as much of the picture as clearly as they can.

AG Raoul released the Public Access Counselor’s Annual Report on Monday – detailing some 3,300 “new matters received” across the year 2022 alone.

The PAC’s job is to generally increase overall transparency between the public and the governing bodies of the state, and particularly as it relates to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests and Open Meetings Act (OMA) protestations.

AG Raoul is also encouraging the public to join the Freedom of Information Act officers and public officials in two webinars hosted by PAC across this week!

To this effect – and in Raoul’s own words – “The Public Access Counselor in my office works throughout the year to ensure government agencies are accessible to the Illinois people they serve. I’m proud to highlight that hard work and transparency during Sunshine Week. To ensure public bodies understand their obligations under transparency laws, I encourage appointed and elected officials, as well as the public, to attend critical and thorough training[s] led by experts from my Public Access Bureau.”

To register for the webinar event online, simply register with the use of this email special.events@ilag.gov and choose which meetings and times you wish to attend!

FOIA for Public Bodies Webinar: March 14, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Open Meetings Act – Better Understanding and Compliance Webinar: March 16, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

WMAY hopes to see you all there!