State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-42nd) has introduced a bill in the Illinois House that would improve transparency and citizen access to government activity.
H.B. 3134 requires that finalized collective bargaining agreements be posted on public websites for a minimum of 14 days before any vote to ratify an agreement occurs. The bill also requires a public or educational employer to hold a public hearing regarding the contract after the 14-day posting period and prior to ratification.
“We have seen too many instances where the public is the last to know when their tax dollars are spent on contracts that are not in their best interest,” Ives said. “This bill shines an important light on publicly funded contracts and allows taxpayers an adequate amount of time to read and research proposed collective bargaining agreements before boards are allowed to approve them.”
Pursuant to the bill, the public posting period and hearing requirement would also apply to contracts between a public employer and an employee where the total compensation exceeds $150,000.
“The public has a right to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and the provisions of this bill will go far in improving access to the information," Ives said.
The bill is currently in the Rules Committee.
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