Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan spends more than $236,000 a year on salaries alone for her office’s public-access division.

The division responds to complaints when government officials won’t release documents, answers questions about the state Freedom of Information Act, holds education seminars for public officials and journalists while also answering FOIA requests submitted to the attorney general.

And the cost is going up.

Ann Spillane, Madigan’s chief of staff, says the attorney general has offered a job to a lawyer to join the public-access office, which now has two attorneys, a paralegal and an administrative assistant. The new attorney will be paid about $50,000.

More staff, Spillane said, is needed to ensure prompt responses to FOIA requests while also performing the office’s other duties.

-- Bruce Rushton