Illinois has hiked penalties for public agencies that drag their heels on responding to public records requests, but Jackie Spinner writes that the state's journalists aren't thrilled: "I heard mostly skepticism that the new law, which goes into effect next January, will do much. The responses highlighted a general frustration with how easily public bodies in Illinois can — and do — ignore requests for public documents, not just from journalists but also from citizens."
September 3, 2016