Quinn Signs Bill Changing FOIA Requests

By aaroncynic in News on Aug 29, 2011 3:00PM

Gov. Quinn signed legislation last Friday approving new restrictions on Freedom of Information Act requests.

Quinn approved HB1716, which gives government agencies the ability to delay fulfilling requests for a “reasonable time” for “recurrent requestors,” or people who make more than seven FOIA requests per week or 15 per month.

The changes exempt media, academics and researchers.

Whitney Woodward, an associate with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform told the Sun-Times “It’s disappointing that Governor Quinn, who once cultivated an image of himself as an advocate of open government, has approved a bill that takes Illinois’ FOIA law backward.”