Tribune Letter to the Editor: Close loophole in City Council rules

January 17, 2023 

LWV Chicago President Jane Ruby posted a letter to the editor of the Chicago Tribune arguing for the City Council to close a loophole that leaves the public in the dark about what is being voted on. Read the letter in full below.

“Chicago’s governing institutions are undoubtedly more transparent and accountable than they once were, but the work is far from finished. Consider a section of Rule 41, a procedural rule that allows senior city officials to bypass the normal process for bringing voting items before a City Council committee. It’s high time we closed this loophole at the center of our city’s legislative process.

“Under the “direct introduction” section of Rule 41, the mayor and city departments can add a subject matter to a committee’s voting agenda without providing specifics about the content of the proposal to be voted on. While the subject matter will be listed on the committee’s public agenda, the actual proposal the committee is expected to vote on is not. Committee members themselves may not receive the text of the item until shortly before the meeting.

“Making matters worse — the text of a Rule 41 proposal is rarely available to the public until after the committee has voted. In some instances, the full text has been made available only after the proposal has been voted on by the full City Council. It’s difficult to imagine a rule more antithetical to the principles of transparency and accountability.

“The City Council’s process for amending its rules is actually pretty simple. A proposed amendment is submitted to the council for referral to the Rules Committee chair. The chair then determines when to have a meeting and include the item on the agenda. Upon a favorable vote in that committee, the proposal then goes before the full council for a vote. Unfortunately, simple is not the same as easy.

“Last year, Ald. Brendan Reilly, 42nd, and eight other aldermen proposed an amendment to Rule 41 that would require items submitted by the mayor and city departments directly to committees to be posted for the public to be able to see the text at least 48 hours prior to the committee meeting and submitted to all council members by that same deadline. The proposal failed to get out of committee.

“A revised amendment proposal from Reilly and Ald. Scott Waguespack, 32nd, was submitted to the Rules Committee in October. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been placed on the Rules Committee’s meeting agenda.

“Many of the candidates in upcoming council elections have promised to fight for greater accountability and transparency in government. Adopting an amendment to Rule 41 would be a good place to start.”