Lawmaker says Illinois behind 44 states in legislative transparency
[February 13, 2026]
(The Center Square) – Illinois House Minority Leader Rep.
Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, is renewing her bid to increase transparency
in state government by making live legislative committee hearings
available to the public after they occur – a shift from the current
“live-only” access system.
McCombie recently filed House Bill 4383, legislation that would require
that audio and video recordings of all Illinois General Assembly
committee hearings be posted online and remain accessible for at least
30 days following each session.
Under the current system, hearings can be watched live but no searchable
public archive exists, a gap McCombie says leaves everyday residents out
of the process
“People have to be able to see what’s going on. [Constituents say,] ‘I
wasn’t able to log in at noon, or I wasn’t available at 3 o’clock in the
morning for this crazy budget that was just passed. I would like to
watch and see what happens for myself,’” McCombie told TCS.
McCombie explained the bill represents an incremental first step,
extending access for a limited time, toward her broader goal of
permanent, searchable archives of all House and Senate proceedings.
“It would take our live hearings and hold them in space for 30 days,”
she explained, adding that the technology “shouldn’t be that hard” given
that townships and municipalities across Illinois already do this.
Illinois currently lags behind most of the country in this regard.
According to the advocacy group Better Government Association, 44 other
U.S. states already offer some form of archived legislative videos that
the public can easily search and review online, a level of access
Illinois lacks.
Transparency advocates have long warned that public trust erodes when
key legislative deliberations occur without accessible records. In
January, the Better Government Association cited commitments from House
Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch and Senate President Don Harmon to improve
online archives, calling the effort “reasonable” and “transformative.”
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The Illinois State Capitol is shown in Springfield. Photo: Greg
Bishop / The Center Square
“I originally introduced similar legislation in the 101st, 102nd and
103rd General Assemblies, and now here we are in the 104th,”
McCombie said. “I think it’s gaining attention now because the
Better Government Association reached out to Speaker Welch and
Senate President Harmon, and suddenly transparency is being treated
as a good idea.”
McCombie acknowledged that HB4383 does not include dedicated
funding.
“There’s no appropriation, and to me this shouldn’t be that
expensive,” McCombie said. “I understand there are security
considerations, but small municipalities and villages have been
doing this for years, often through a simple YouTube channel.”
Transparency concerns are often heightened by late-night legislative
sessions, particularly during budget negotiations. McCombie noted
that in past years, key votes and amendments have taken place in the
early morning hours, when most residents are unable to attend or
watch proceedings live.
“I would love to see more regular hours if people can see it in real
time,” she said, adding that scheduling decisions rest with the
majority party. While McCombie acknowledged that sessions are
starting on time more consistently, she said overnight lawmaking
remains a concern.
McCombie acknowledged that HB4383 does not include enforcement
mechanisms.
She suggested that any gaps in compliance would likely be technical
rather than deliberate, noting that streaming infrastructure already
exists.
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