In 2025, the Levin Center conducted a study of all 50 states to examine how legislatures ensure government programs work effectively for citizens. Factors such as legislative oversight committees, routine engagement with executive agencies, collection of casework data, digital transparency tools, and user-centered policy evaluation were of particular importance. The full report can be found here.
State Summary #
The state of Illinois does not provide constituents with easy access to submit feedback or input on legislation. There is no direct solicitation for feedback on their main legislative website nor any of the oversight chairs’ personal web pages. There was no evidence of direct-user testimony in any of the hearings surveyed and it was not apparent that the committees assigned to oversight were meeting at all.
While the Illinois General Assembly’s website was one of the most limited in terms of form and function we came across in our work, a new public beta of the General Assembly’s website is at least one promising step in the right direction.
