The debate over whether public bodies in Illinois should be allowed to hide information in databases from Freedom of Information requests is the focus of a bill in the 104th Illinois General Assembly. Matt Chapman, a civic hacker and expert in data journalism, has been at the center of this controversy regarding a database in Chicago called CANVAS. The Illinois Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of allowing public bodies to refuse to disclose database schemas, despite arguments that this limits transparency. However, there is hope for change with the introduction of SB0226, championed by Chapman, which would require public bodies to provide descriptions of their databases for specific queries.@apiquThe unique and controversial aspect of this content lies in the detailed legal battle over database schemas and the implications for transparency in Illinois public bodies. The surprising aspect is the technical expertise and advocacy of Matt Chapman in challenging the system.
https://sockpuppet.org/blog/2025/02/09/fixing-illinois-foia/