State Rep. Dale Righter’s bill to expand the access of the Freedom of Information Act is currently awaiting its second reading on the floor of the General Assembly.

“This bill would apply to Eastern as it applies to all public bodies,” Righter, R-Mattoon, said.

“Right now citizens can access just about any document that comes from a tax-payer funded body, especially when it comes to budget information,” Righter said.

“One of the current exceptions is when a taxpayer’s money is used in a settlement or contract as a result of an actual or threatened lawsuit.”

Righter said his bill will close that loophole.

The bill, HB 3078, of which Righter is the sole author, was unanimously passed in the Illinois House of Representatives’ Judicial-Civil Law Committee, has undergone its first reading and is awaiting its second reading, which puts the bill close to a final vote in the Illinois House.

“This is the second year I have worked on this bill,” Righter said. “One thing I have learned here is that the big ideas don’t get done in the first year.”

The bill last year was failed in committee by one vote.

“It’s about accountability,” Righter stressed. “And the best way to ensure that elected officials remain accountable to those they serve is to open to the public as much information as possible about the decisions they make. It’s our money – it should also be our information.”