The Illinois General Assembly approved by a 42-1 vote a bill that would prohibit the names of Firearm Owner's Identification Card owners to be released. If Gov. Quinn signs the bill into law, it would reverse a ruling by State Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who ordered the Illinois State Police to release the names of FOID owners under the Freedom of Information Act. more ›

To own a firearm in Illinois, you have to have a Firearm Owner's Identification Card (FOID). According to the Illinois State Police, "the FOID card is required for any resident of Illinois to possess or purchase firearms. During the FOID application process, the applicant’s identification and background information is checked. Individuals with prohibiting factors are disallowed from obtaining a FOID card." Last year the Associated Press filed a Freedom of Information Act requesting the names of all FOID card holders in the state, and their expiration dates. The state police, however, don't want to release the information. more ›

Thinking about standardized testing can really make some people sweat, and it looks like it's making a lot of teachers, parents, and students sweat right now: an analysis of ACT scores has indicated that approximately 80 percent of public high school juniors in Illinois are not ready for college studies. The Chicago Tribune recently looked through around 133,000 tests that juniors in Illinois high schools were required to take in April 2010. Upon searching through the numerous test scores (which the paper obtained from a Freedom of Information Act request), the Tribune determined that too many high school juniors were not meeting the set "benchmarks" for each of the subjects that were tested. more ›

It was a busy weekend while you were hopefully outside enjoying the fresh air. Here's what you might have missed. more ›

Even though Illinois may not be the most corrupt state in the nation, Chicago is trying really hard to buff up its political image. Two months ago, the City of Chicago's website went through a makeover and became easier to access. Taking one step further this past Thursday on May 13, Mayor Daley announced that the City of Chicago's website now offers additional new information that will give residents better access to Chicago government files. Some of the new access to information that has been added to the website include: more ›

Judicial Watch, a "conservative, non-partisan educational foundation, [that] promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in government, politics and the law," is preparing to file a lawsuit against the city of Chicago to force them to comply with a Freedom of Information Act request they filed in September of this year. The group had filed the request in order to obtain records involving Chicago's failed Olympic bid, specifically looking at the role President Obama and the White House played in the bid. more ›

• Six more confirmed cases of Swine Flu have the grand total in the state of Illinois up to *drumroll* .... Nine.
• Meanwhile, Governor Quinn echoed the sentiment of common sense in saying that riding public transit did not pose any additional health risks.
• Chicago Public Schools and the teachers' union are squaring off over potential changes to the retirement plan.

Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. filed FOIA requests following reports that high-ranking Secret Service agents circulated racist e-mails, one of which joked about the elder Jackson's assassination. more ›

Sangamon County Circuit Judge Patrick Kelley ruled Wednesday that Governor Blagojevich's administration must disclose subpoenas from federal prosecutors in the ongoing investigation into state hiring. When the governor's office denied a Freedom of Information Act request for copies of the subpoenas last year, the Better Government Association, a Chicago-based government watchdog group, sued. US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is investigating charges that the Blagojevich administration traded state jobs for campaign contributions. more ›