An Open Meetings Act reform bill inspired by the debacle surrounding a proposed Oakwood Hills power plant is headed to the Illinois Senate after unanimously clearing the House.

House Bill 175, written by Rep. David McSweeney, R-Barrington Hills, will allow people to report a possible violation of the act within 60 days of its discovery, rather than 60 days from the date of the meeting. It passed the House early Thursday afternoon on a 110-0 vote.

“I think it’s a great bill, and it’s got bipartisan support,” McSweeney said. “To pass a meaningful bill like this is good news for transparency and for my constituents.”

Sen. Dan Duffy, R-Lake Barrington, is the bill’s chief sponsor in the Senate – both McSweeney’s and Duffy’s districts include Oakwood Hills.

McSweeney filed the legislation in response to what was potentially an illegal July 2013 meeting by the Oakwood Hills Village Board in which it discussed in closed session the monetary windfall that would come from the building of a 430-megawatt, $450-million power plant in the small town. The Open Meetings Act, which among other things limits what governments can debate behind closed doors, does not have an exemption that covers such…continue reading at the NWHerald.com…