Better Government Association
@bettergov.bsky.social
📤 157
📥 1
📝 36
Advocating for transparent, accountable and efficient government through public policy.
Policy Analyst
@sophiavp.bsky.social
was quoted in this article discussing the increase of body cam requests in Naperville. “The more barriers that go up, the more roadblocks there are in the requesting process, the harder it is for the public to get the records."
https://bit.ly/4pB0gEp
loading . . .
Naperville police trying to deal with big increase in body cam footage requests
Naperville police want legislation to curb the growing number of Freedom of Information Act requests for body camera footage.
https://bit.ly/4pB0gEp
3 days ago
0
1
0
Vice President of Policy Bryan Zarou was on ABC7 Chicago's "Weekend Watch" to discuss leadership from both the Illinois House and Senate committing to transparent archives. Watch the segment here:
https://abc7.ws/4px4CfL
loading . . .
Better Government Association pushes for increased Illinois legislative transparency
The Better Government Association is calling for more transparency in Illinois government, and two powerful lawmakers are answering the call.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/better-government-association-pushes-increased-illinois-legislative-transparency/18373349/
5 days ago
0
2
0
Vice President of Policy Bryan Zarou will be on
@abc7chicago.bsky.social
this morning to discuss Speaker Welch and President Harmon committing to transparent online archives for Illinois. Watch live at 8:45 a.m. here:
https://abc7.ws/3wRZlr1
loading . . .
ABC7 Chicago Live Stream: Newscasts, Breaking News from WLS-TV
Watch live streaming video and newscasts from Chicago and stay updated with the latest local WLS broadcasts, plus live breaking news and weather as it happens.
https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/
7 days ago
0
0
0
Speaker of the Illinois House Chris Welch and
@harmonil.bsky.social
committed to modernizing the General Assembly’s website and creating free, searchable archives of floor & committee proceedings. Read their letters to BGA Policy here:
https://bit.ly/44XfFrc
loading . . .
Speaker Welch; President Harmon commit to transparent online archives
Illinoisans should not need insider access or paid subscriptions to see their government at work. Across most of the country, residents can easily watch, search, and review legislative proceedings onl...
https://bit.ly/44XfFrc
11 days ago
0
0
0
Under Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act, there is a presumption that government records are open to the public. Body cam footage, however, is different. Want to get the footage? This guide from BGA Policy explains how.
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/02/how-to-foia-for-body-camera-footage/
loading . . .
How to FOIA for Body Camera Footage
Under Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act, there is a presumption that government records are open to the public. Body cam footage is an anomaly. Its availability is dictated by the […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/02/how-to-foia-for-body-camera-footage/
15 days ago
0
1
0
As we start our new year, catch up on BGA Policy's City of Chicago Policy Agenda for 2023-2027.
https://www.bettergov.org/bga-policy-agenda-city-of-chicago-2023/
loading . . .
BGA Policy Agenda: City of Chicago 2023-2027
Learn about the BGA Policy's agenda for the City of Chicago in 2023. Our recommendations aim to improve governance transparency.
https://www.bettergov.org/bga-policy-agenda-city-of-chicago-2023/
16 days ago
0
0
0
BGA Policy conducted an analysis to help those who rely on FOIA understand how the legislature has considered changing access to public documents. Check it out here:
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/09/2025-foia-legislation-analysis/
loading . . .
2025 FOIA Legislation Analysis
The foundational principle of Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act is that the public is entitled to “full and complete information regarding the affairs of government.” Many stakeholders — journalist...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/09/2025-foia-legislation-analysis/
17 days ago
0
1
0
Just a few months after the last remaining law enforcement agencies were required to equip officers with body cameras, several legislative efforts in 2025 tried to limit access to body cam footage.
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/17/six-bills-sought-to-reduce-public-access-to-body-cam-footage/
loading . . .
Six bills sought to reduce public access to body cam footage
Just a few months after the last remaining law enforcement agencies were required to equip officers with body cameras, several legislative efforts in 2025 tried to limit access to body […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/17/six-bills-sought-to-reduce-public-access-to-body-cam-footage/
19 days ago
0
0
1
Just a few months after the last remaining law enforcement agencies were required to equip officers with body cameras, several legislative efforts in 2025 tried to limit access to body cam footage, according to an analysis by BGA Policy.
https://bit.ly/4jo33Q5
loading . . .
Six bills sought to reduce public access to body cam footage
Just a few months after the last remaining law enforcement agencies were required to equip officers with body cameras, several legislative efforts in 2025 tried to limit access to body […]
https://bit.ly/4jo33Q5
30 days ago
0
2
0
Bryan Zarou, the Better Government Association’s vice president of policy, has been appointed to serve on the City of Chicago’s Inspector General Search Committee. Read more here:
https://bit.ly/4pgp9Fv
loading . . .
Bryan Zarou Appointed to Chicago Inspector General Search Committee
Bryan Zarou, the Better Government Association’s vice president of policy, has been appointed to serve on the City of Chicago’s Inspector General Search Committee. The Inspector General is one of […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/15/bryan-zarou-appointed-to-chicago-inspector-general-search-committee/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
Illinois lawmakers considered 80 FOIA-related bills in 2025, many of which would narrow public access. BGA Policy breaks down what passed and what it means:
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/09/2025-foia-legislation-analysis/
loading . . .
2025 FOIA Legislation Analysis
The foundational principle of Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act is that the public is entitled to “full and complete information regarding the affairs of government.” Many stakeholders — journalist...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/09/2025-foia-legislation-analysis/
about 1 month ago
0
2
0
BGA Policy conducted an analysis to help those who rely on FOIA understand how the legislature has considered changing access to public documents. You can view it here:
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/09/2025-foia-legislation-analysis/
loading . . .
2025 FOIA Legislation Analysis
The foundational principle of Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act is that the public is entitled to “full and complete information regarding the affairs of government.” Many stakeholders — journalist...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/09/2025-foia-legislation-analysis/
about 1 month ago
0
2
0
Our VP of Policy Bryan Zarou will be on
@abc7chicago.bsky.social
this morning to discuss redistricting. Watch live at 8:45 a.m. here:
https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/
loading . . .
ABC7 Chicago Live Stream: Newscasts, Breaking News from WLS-TV
Watch live streaming video and newscasts from Chicago and stay updated with the latest local WLS broadcasts, plus live breaking news and weather as it happens.
https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/
about 1 month ago
0
0
0
Curious about how to access police body-cam video through public records? This new guide explains when recordings are eligible, how long they're kept and how to write a proper FOIA request.
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/02/how-to-foia-for-body-camera-footage/
loading . . .
How to FOIA for Body Camera Footage
Under Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act, there is a presumption that government records are open to the public. Body cam footage is an anomaly. Its availability is dictated by the […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/02/how-to-foia-for-body-camera-footage/
about 1 month ago
0
0
1
In the state of Illinois, obtaining body cam footage is different than a regular FOIA. Want to get footage? This guide from BGA Policy explains how.
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/02/how-to-foia-for-body-camera-footage/
loading . . .
How to FOIA for Body Camera Footage
Under Illinois’ Freedom of Information Act, there is a presumption that government records are open to the public. Body cam footage is an anomaly. Its availability is dictated by the […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/12/02/how-to-foia-for-body-camera-footage/
about 2 months ago
0
0
0
Our President & CEO David Greising will be on
@abc7.bsky.social
this morning to discuss his latest opinion column covering Chicago budget negotiations. Watch live at 8:45 a.m. here:
https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/
loading . . .
ABC7 Chicago Live Stream: Newscasts, Breaking News from WLS-TV
Watch live streaming video and newscasts from Chicago and stay updated with the latest local WLS broadcasts, plus live breaking news and weather as it happens.
https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/
about 2 months ago
0
1
0
3 days until we connect systems, power and people. Don’t miss Power of Journalism Dec 2 at The Experimental Station! RSVP here:
https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=453d13e6-2155-45b2-b7c9-2222cb47ad43&envId=p-fEp6e6mKFk2iQ5k7ZFAgFg&zone=usa
about 2 months ago
0
0
0
From our newsroom: Budgets tell a story — Alex Nitkin follows the money to uncover who benefits and who’s left behind. Join him at
#PowerOfJournalism
→ 🎟 RSVP:
https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=453d13e6-2155-45b2-b7c9-2222cb47ad43&envId=p-fEp6e6mKFk2iQ5k7ZFAgFg&zone=usa
about 2 months ago
0
0
0
Moderator
@gracehauck.bsky.social
will guide Illinois Answers' conversation on how investigative journalism builds more accountable systems. Join her on Dec. 2! Learn more here:
https://www.bettergov.org/event/16768/
about 2 months ago
0
1
0
Be a part of this crucial dialogue with change makers redefining local journalism and its impact on Chicago’s future. Light bites and drinks will be served.
https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=453d13e6-2155-45b2-b7c9-2222cb47ad43&envId=p-fEp6e6mKFk2iQ5k7ZFAgFg&zone=usa
about 2 months ago
0
1
0
The City of Chicago budget hearings are almost over! You can catch up on all of our budget snapshots, full analyses including charts and tables, here:
www.bettergov.org/tag/budget-h...
2 months ago
0
2
1
From our VP of Policy Bryan Zarou: Has the clerk of Cook County Circuit Court improved transparency as she promised?
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/23/o...
loading . . .
Bryan Zarou: Has the clerk of Cook County Circuit Court improved transparency as she promised?
Mariyana Spyropoulos took office in December and began to do what she promised to do: improving trust and transparency.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/23/opinion-cook-county-circuit-court-clerk-transparency/
3 months ago
0
1
0
BGA Policy is in City Council chambers as the start of the first budget departmental hearings are underway. Keep track of all our budget snapshots here:
www.bettergov.org/tag/budget-h...
3 months ago
0
1
0
It’s budget season in Chicago, and that means it’s time for BGA Policy’s popular Budget Snapshots: your go-to, day-by-day guide to each department’s proposed budget. Learn more and sign up here:
www.bettergov.org/city-of-chic...
loading . . .
City of Chicago 2026 Budget Snapshots
Get the details of each department's proposed budget with BGA Budget Snapshot: day-by-day analyses of departmental budgets, released ahead of each department's City Council hearing, with a focus on ma...
https://www.bettergov.org/city-of-chicago-2026-budget-snapshots/
3 months ago
1
1
1
NEW: Chicago Police Only City Department to Overspend Local Funds Three Years Running
www.bettergov.org/2025/10/15/c...
loading . . .
Budget vs. Actual Spend: Chicago Police Only City Department to Overspend Local Funds Three Years Running
Explore the Chicago police budget and learn how the department consistently overspends its budget from 2022 to 2024.
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/10/15/cpd-budget-actual-spend-2022-2024/
3 months ago
0
0
0
reposted by
Better Government Association
Geoffrey Cubbage
3 months ago
đź§µ A deep dive into guaranteed funding floors for three Chicago oversight agencies -- Office of Inspector General, Civilian Office of Police Accountability, and Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability -- found actual departmental budgets well short of the minimums.
loading . . .
Analysis: Departmental Budgets Fall Short of Mandatory Minimums for City Oversight Agencies
Non-departmental calculated costs and accounting adjustments make up difference, BGA Policy analysis finds
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/10/06/analysis-departmental-budgets-fall-short-of-mandatory-minimums-for-city-oversight-agencies/
1
3
2
New from BGA Policy: Departmental Budgets Fall Short of Mandatory Minimums for City Oversight Agencies
www.bettergov.org/2025/10/06/a...
loading . . .
Analysis: Departmental Budgets Fall Short of Mandatory Minimums for City Oversight Agencies
Non-departmental calculated costs and accounting adjustments make up difference, BGA Policy analysis finds
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/10/06/analysis-departmental-budgets-fall-short-of-mandatory-minimums-for-city-oversight-agencies/
3 months ago
0
0
0
New: BGA Calls on Illinois Attorney General to Investigate Apparent Violations of the TRUST Act Read the full statement here:
www.bettergov.org/2025/10/01/b...
loading . . .
BGA Calls on Illinois Attorney General to Investigate Apparent Violations of the TRUST Act
As a nonpartisan organization dedicated to accountability, transparency and equity within government, the BGA is concerned about recent reporting indicating the Illinois TRUST Act likely is being viol...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/10/01/bga-calls-on-illinois-attorney-general-to-investigate-apparent-violations-of-the-trust-act/
4 months ago
0
2
2
The Better Government Association commends the Board’s intent to evaluate the efficiency and equality of mosquito-related services in Cook County, and commends the board for passing this resolution.
www.bettergov.org/2025/09/25/b...
loading . . .
BGA Supports Cook County Mosquito Abatement Evaluation
Last week, the Better Government Association spoke in front of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and supported a resolution that calls for evaluation of countywide mosquito abatement practices an...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/09/25/bga-supports-cook-county-mosquito-abatement-evaluation/
4 months ago
0
0
0
Geoffrey Cubbage's BGA Policy analysis on Chicago's outsized PR spending is cited in "Copaganda," by Alec Karakatsanis, highlighting how police communications shape public perception. Read his 2022 analysis here:
www.bettergov.org/2022/10/18/a...
loading . . .
Analysis: Chicago Outspends and Outstaffs NYC, LA on Communications and Public Relations
Emanuel-era surge in CPD public relations staff, maintained in Lightfoot’s budgets, puts Chicago ahead of peer cities in comms spending per capita and as a proportion of overall budget
https://www.bettergov.org/2022/10/18/analysis-chicago-outspends-and-outstaffs-nyc-la-on-communications-and-public-relations/
5 months ago
0
1
0
We’re proud to share that SB1181, Illinois’ anti-SLAPP legislation, has officially passed both chambers of the General Assembly and is now headed to the governor’s desk. This is a major win for free speech and government transparency in Illinois.
8 months ago
0
2
0
At a press conference last week, Mayor Brandon Johnson unveiled new lobbying priorities focused on tweaks to state revenue for Chicago—but left out potential new revenue proposals raised during the city’s late 2024 budget hearings.
www.bettergov.org/2025/04/10/n...
loading . . .
New Revenues for Chicago, Mentioned in Budget Hearings, Not On Mayor’s Springfield Agenda
A series of new lobbying priorities announced by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a press conference last week included tweaks to revenues the city currently receives from the state government, […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/04/10/new-revenues-for-chicago-mentioned-in-budget-hearings-not-on-mayors-springfield-agenda/
9 months ago
0
2
3
BGA supports consolidating Cook County's electronic monitoring programs, but moving them under the judiciary limits transparency since courts are not subject to FOIA. As electronic monitoring expands under judges, we need judicial FOIA now to ensure accountability.
bit.ly/3FKe0eM
loading . . .
Contentious overhaul of electronic-monitoring program in Cook County arriving after brewing for years
After months of planning and discussion, the Cook County sheriff’s office starting Tuesday will no longer accept new electronic monitoring participants, marking the beginning of a shift in one way …
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/30/contentious-overhaul-of-electronic-monitoring-program-in-cook-county-arriving-after-brewing-for-years/?lctg=A4A205AA14E1E54274BF2545B2&utm_email=A4A205AA14E1E54274BF2545B2&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=https%3a%2f%2fwww.chicagotribune.com%2f2025%2f03%2f30%2fcontentious-overhaul-of-electronic-monitoring-program-in-cook-county-arriving-after-brewing-for-years%2f&utm_campaign=CT-Breaking-News&utm_content=alert
10 months ago
1
1
0
Illinois’ judicial branch is exempt from FOIA, keeping key info hidden. Even when required, compliance is slow. As electronic monitoring expands, the public still waits for mandated data. Read the analysis here:
www.bettergov.org/2025/03/26/s...
loading . . .
State Courts Lag on Electronic Monitoring Data Required by SAFE-T Act
As BGA Policy has consistently highlighted, Illinois’ judicial branch is not subject to FOIA, leaving entities like juvenile detention centers, policies and procedures of judicial agencies, training m...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/03/26/state-courts-lag-on-electronic-monitoring-data-required-by-safe-t-act/
10 months ago
0
1
0
NEW: Alleging Obstruction, Chicago’s Inspector General Turns to City Council for Stronger Laws
www.bettergov.org/2025/02/13/a...
loading . . .
Alleging Obstruction, Chicago’s Inspector General Turns to City Council for Stronger Laws
In a memo sent Friday to the Chicago City Council’s ethics committee, city Inspector General Deborah Witzburg laid out a series of what her office characterizes as obstructions by the […]
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/02/13/alleging-obstruction-chicagos-inspector-general-turns-to-city-council-for-stronger-laws/?utm_source=Better+Government+Association&utm_campaign=1df770aa69-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_12_12_2022_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_eded421217-1df770aa69-635934421
11 months ago
0
1
0
BREAKING: Former longtime Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan today was found guilty by a jury on 10 out of 23 charges, including conspiracy, bribery and other charges in relation to a jobs-for-votes scheme and additional abuses of public office.
www.bettergov.org/2025/02/12/b...
loading . . .
Better Government Association Statement: Madigan Trial Verdict
Former longtime Illinois Speaker of the House Michael Madigan today was found guilty by a jury on 10 out of 23 charges, including conspiracy, bribery and other charges in relation to a jobs-for-votes ...
https://www.bettergov.org/2025/02/12/better-government-association-statement-madigan-trial-verdict/
11 months ago
0
0
0
Mayor Brandon Johnson's office improperly accepted personal gifts 'on behalf of the city' and then denied investigators access to the records, according to the Office of Inspector General.
igchicago.org/2025/01/29/m...
12 months ago
0
0
1
you reached the end!!
feeds!
log in