(5 ILCS 120/1) (from Ch. 102, par. 41)

Sec. 1. Policy. It is the public policy of this State that public bodies exist to aid in the conduct of the people's business and that the people have a right to be informed as to the conduct of their business. In order that the people shall be informed, the General Assembly finds and declares that it is the intent of this Act to ensure that the actions of public bodies be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.

The General Assembly further declares it to be the public policy of this State that its citizens shall be given advance notice of and the right to attend all meetings at which any business of a public body is discussed or acted upon in any way. Exceptions to the public's right to attend exist only in those limited circumstances where the General Assembly has specifically determined that the public interest would be clearly endangered or the personal privacy or guaranteed rights of individuals would be clearly in danger of unwarranted invasion.

To implement this policy, the General Assembly declares:

(1) it is the intent of this Act to protect the citizen's right to know; and

(2) the provisions for exceptions to the open meeting requirements shall be strictly construed against closed meetings.

(Source: P.A. 88-621, eff. 1-1-95.)