Quinn Vetoes Employee Privacy Measure

Gov. Pat Quinn has used his amendatory veto to gut an AFSCME-backed bill that would have kept employee performance evaluations confidential.  AFSCME Director Henry Bayer vowed to push for an override of the governor’s veto during the fall legislative session.

 

FOIA legislation that was enacted last year allows any citizen to get a copy of the performance evaluation of any state, local government or school district employee (except teachers).  HB 5154, which AFSCME shepherded through the General Assembly in the recent legislative session, would have amended the FOIA law to keep performance evaluations confidential.  It would prevent citizens from getting access to public employee performance evaluation.

 

Quinn’s veto of the privacy protection which HB 5154 sought to establish applies to all public employees except “peace officers” (the definition of which does not include correctional officers).   Quinn said only police officers should be exempted from the FOIA law, citing a public safety need to protect some private information about cops.

 

"These evaluations could be used by criminal suspects or defendants… to attack the credibility and integrity of a police officer," Quinn wrote in his veto message to lawmakers.

“Unfortunately, the Governor doesn’t seem aware many other public employees could be put a risk in a variety of ways if anyone and everyone can get access to their performance evaluations,” Henry Bayer said.  “AFSCME members should contact their state legislators and urge them to vote to override the Governor’s veto during this fall's legislative session.”