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Lawmakers Want Government Less Transparent
Public access to government workers' evaluations could soon be forbidden if state lawmakers have their way. A bill to exempt all public employee evaluations from public exposure won final approval from the Illinois Senate last week.

The sponsor, State Sen. Kimberly Lightford (D-Maywood), says the bill would satisfy promises made during negotiations of Race to the Top. There is speculation, however, that shielding the evaluations was a concession made to unions after the pension reform legislation was approved.

Lightford says public employees should not be scrutinized in the same manner as elected officials. State Sen. Carole Pankau (R-Itasca) voted against the bill. She says it chips away at the ethics reform law that has been in effect for less than five months.

Other lawmakers who voted in favor of the bill say public employee evaluations would not be as effective as private evaluations because they would be written for an audience instead of the employee.

H.B. 5154 passed the Senate 45-9. It now awaits the signature of Gov. Pat Quinn. When Quinn was asked about the bill earlier in the week, he said he supported the original ethics reform and is interested to see what the bill proposes.

(Illinois Radio Network)
05 03 10 by Newsroom
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