NEW! A Close Look at City Council's 2026 Budget Changes by Sr. Policy Analyst Geoffrey Cubbage https://www.bettergov.org/2026/03/04/small-steps-for-independent-budgeting-city-councils-plan-passed-over-mayors-objections-changes-revenues-but-keeps-roughly-the-same-spending-plan/

📣 We’re thrilled to welcome award-winning journalist @errinhaines.bsky.social as our featured speaker at Beyond the Byline! A founding editor and editor-at-large at @19thnews.org, Errin brings powerful insight on race, gender and politics to the conversation. RSVP now: https://bit.ly/4kP1tY0

Get your tickets for Women Who Hold Power to Account: an inspiring evening honoring Women’s History Month and spotlighting remarkable women leading with accountability and integrity across Chicago’s civic landscape. https://bit.ly/3MxCQ5g

From Watergate prosecutor to @ms.now Legal Analyst, Jill brings sharp legal insight and principled analysis to today’s national conversations on democracy. We’re honored to feature her at Women Who Hold Power to Account. Secure your tickets today: https://bit.ly/3MxCQ5g

Our President & CEO David Greising will be on @abc7chicago.bsky.social this morning to discuss his recent column on the Bears stadium. Watch live at 8:45 a.m. here: https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/

Join us for Beyond the Byline and the presentation of the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting — celebrating the watchdog journalism that strengthens communities and holds power to account. Secure your tickets here: https://bit.ly/4pVG4ND

Deborah Witzburg, Inspector General for Chicago, joins Women Who Hold Power to Account. Appointed in 2022, she leads oversight of city government and previously headed OIG’s public safety and police reform work. Hear from one of Chicago’s top accountability leaders: https://bit.ly/3MxCQ5g

We're excited to have Sophia Van Pelt (She/her) moderating Women Who Hold Power to Account. A BGA Policy analyst, she focuses on government oversight, FOIA protections and criminal justice accountability with deep policy expertise to guide the discussion. https://bit.ly/3YVXv5U

Vice President of Policy Bryan Zarou will be on @abc7chicago.bsky.social this morning to discuss Chicago's Board of Ethics Chair vacancy. Tune in live at 8:45 a.m. here: https://abc7chicago.com/watch/live/

Meet Ruby Bailey, the Editor in Chief of the Illinois Answers project. She brings 30 years of award winning reporting to our Women Who Hold Power to Account panel. Hear her insights on accountability in journalism. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3YVXv5U

Jane Ruby is president of the League of Women Voters of Chicago. Jane’s work has focused on protecting and expanding voting rights, civic education and women’s empowerment issues. Don’t miss her speak on holding power to account at this Women’s History Month panel in Chicago: https://bit.ly/3YVXv5U

Meet Ruby Bailey, the Editor in Chief of the Illinois Answers project. She brings 30 years of award winning reporting to our Women Who Hold Power to Account panel. Hear her insights on accountability in journalism. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3YVXv5U

Submissions are now open for the 22nd Anniversary Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting. News organizations across Chicago and Illinois are encouraged to apply. The deadline to submit your entry is Monday, February 23rd at 11:59 p.m. CDT. https://bit.ly/4k2DAvC

Save the date! Join us for Beyond the Byline: Featuring the 22nd Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Investigative Reporting on Thursday, May 7, from 3:30–8:30 p.m. at Venue SIX10 in downtown Chicago. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/4pVG4ND

Save the date! Join us March 10 for Women Who Hold Power to Account, an evening conversation honoring Women’s History Month and spotlighting women who exemplify accountability and integrity across Chicago’s civic landscape. Learn more and register here: https://bit.ly/3YVXv5U

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

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

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

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

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/

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/

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/

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/

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

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

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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/

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

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

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/

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

NEW: Chicago Police Only City Department to Overspend Local Funds Three Years Running www.bettergov.org/2025/10/15/c...

🧵 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.

New from BGA Policy: Departmental Budgets Fall Short of Mandatory Minimums for City Oversight Agencies www.bettergov.org/2025/10/06/a...

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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

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...

NEW: Alleging Obstruction, Chicago’s Inspector General Turns to City Council for Stronger Laws www.bettergov.org/2025/02/13/a...