During my years as a newspaper reporter, I used to love digging up public records. I learned early in my career that it is one thing to be told information, but it is even better to sift through public documents when you want to know what is really going on in government.

I never forgot the importance of that lesson when I moved into elected office.

It is why, as a member of the Illinois General Assembly, I was an early sponsor of our state’s first Freedom of Information laws.