Posted by Mike Riopell on Wed, 05/02/2012 - 11:12

Sen. Dan Duffy today had a Springfield news conference to try to call attention to legislation he's pushed unsuccessfully for several years now - a plan that would force local governments like cities and school districts to post more financial information online.

That would include their regular checkbook statements, a move Duffy says could have prevented the situation in downstate Dixon where a local official has been charged with stealing about $53 million from city coffers over the years.

"In this Internet age, it's still surprising this information isn't out there and posted on the Internet," Duffy said.

You can get some of that info about the state here, but local governments aren't included and understanding the expenses side of things can require a trained eye.

Still, Duffy argues, the knowledge that all the information is public could deter officials from steal money. Otherwise, he says, he thinks a Dixon situation can happen again.

"It's not going to be a surprise," he said.

The legislation has languished in Springfield, though. It's likely local governments might see a requirement like this as burdensome.