Welcome to the Open Government Chicago Wiki

OpenGovChi Meetup.com homepage (Join to know about events we plan)

OpenGovChi Google Group (please sign up - not automatic with Meetup membership)

Next Meeting: Great American Hackathon: Sunday, 13 December, Columbia College

Other upcoming events

• Personal Democracy Forum Europe: Barcelona, Spain, 21-22 November 2009
• CityCamp Chicago: 23-24 January 2010
• Gov2.0 Expo: Washington, DC, May 2010

Past events 

Local projects

• Everyblock Chicago
• TIF info (link?)
• Chicago Tribune FOIA information
• RepSheet
• Chicago Transit Wiki
• Chicago Demolition Hold List
• Chicagotalks.org

  This is a community & citizen journalism project that publishes edited local news. We welcome stories about how things work in your Ward (or how they don't work) and would like to be clearinghouse for civic associations and block clubs to communicate. Just register and you can post.

• CookEmployees.com Hosted by Cook County Commissioner Tony Peraica

• Teacher & Administrator Salary Database
• CityPayments A database of municipal payments, contracts and vendor
• Cook County Board and Forest Preserve Legislative Library a project of Cook County Commissioner Larry Suffredin
• Better Government Association Public Payroll Database
• Chicago Aldermen Expense Reports Tribune
• Dry cleaners’ contamination sites Tribune

* Stories based on Open Records requests

* Help for people who want to get access to records

* A database of "requests were for help obtaining records from public agencies," made to the IL Attorney General

Types of data

Other projects

• Federal Open Government Projects
• State and Municipal Open Government Projects
• International Open Government Projects (non-US)

Resources/tools 

• Podcasts and Presentations
• Blogs and Communities
• Social Network for Government 2.0
• Participatory Budgeting (facebook group)

Freedom of Information Resources

"Pursuant to the fundamental philosophy of the American constitutional form of government, it is declared to be the public policy of the State of Illinois that all persons are entitled to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government and the official acts and policies of those who represent them as public officials and public employees consistent with the terms of this Act. Such access is necessary to enable the people to fulfill their duties of discussing public issues fully and freely, making informed political judgments and monitoring government to ensure that it is being conducted in the public interest."

• Illinois Compiled Statutes - Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140) The law.
• Illinois Attorney General
  • Ensuring Open and Honest Government
  • A Complete Guide to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (pdf) Lisa Madigan, revised 9/04
• Student Press Law Center an excellent web site, written primarily for journalism students, but includes much information invaluable to all citizens
  • Access to Records, Meetings & Places an excellent section on access issues
  • FOI Law Primer: Using the Tools of the Trade a superb introduction to FOI law
  • Fully Automated, Fill-in-the-Blanks Open Records Law Request Letter Generator
• Manual on Illinois "Sunshine Laws": The Open Meetings and Freedom of Information Acts (PDF), by Patrick A. Lucansk and Terrence M. Barnicle for the Illinois Municipal League,, November 2000, somewhat dated but an interesting glimpse from the municipality perspective
• The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, information on the federal Freedom of Information Act
  • The Door to Open Government in Illinois An indispensable report in Q&A format by Donald M. Craven, long-time general counsel to the Illinois Press Association
• Citizen Advocacy Center, an Elmhurst-based storefront NFP active throughout the Chicago area
  • Midwest Open Government Project, a comprehensive study of the Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Acts in Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota

News

Outreach and Cross-Pollination