Two legislative proposals promoting budget transparency and sunshine are pending before the Senate this spring, sponsored by State Sen. Michael Connelly (R-Wheaton). The measures would impact how the budget process is conducted at the state and local level. In the case of last year’s “booby trap” budget, the massive spending plan was dropped on lawmakers’ desks with a mere few hours for senators and representatives to consider the thousands of details and cast a vote. Senate Bill 1356 requires a three-day posting before a state budget bill can be voted on by the legislature. The second measure, Senate Bill 1469 requires county boards and commissions to post their budget plans for a minimum of seven days before taking final action.