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Ethics Reform in Illinois
Throughout the spring legislative session, ethics has
been the focus of the media, the Illinois Reform Commission chaired by
Patrick Collins, the legislature, the Governor and many others. There was some significant success but
there is also much to be done.
Contribution Caps
The issue receiving the most attention was caps on
campaign contributions. There is
legislation now awaiting approval by the Governor to, for the first time in
Illinois, limit campaign contributions.
It is by no means a perfect solution, but it is a significant
start. Individuals are prohibited
from donating more than $5000 per year to any political candidate and
organizations (PAC’s, unions and
corporations) are limited to $10,000 per year. There is also a limit of $90,000 per
year on transfers between candidate campaign committees.
I was a co-sponsor of House Bill 24 which would have
established lower limits – matching the contribution limits currently
in effect at the federal level.
These were the limits recommended by the Illinois Reform Commission
chaired by Patrick Collins. But
as happens with every piece of complex legislation, compromises were required
in order to get something passed and on the books.
Many in the House did not accept the higher limits
without a fight. I joined with
Republicans and fourteen other Democrats in a parliamentary maneuver to force
a vote on the floor on the lower limits in HB 24, but we were
unsuccessful. It was then my
decision that it was better to get something into law and fight in future
legislative sessions to make it stronger, so I voted for the higher
limits. Had we done nothing, I
was convinced that in another year, with both the Blagojevich scandals and
the Collins Commission report further behind us, there would be less media
and public pressure to impose contribution caps and we would, yet again, end
up with no reform at all.
I also believe that caps are not a silver bullet to
keep money out of politics. We
have had caps at the federal level for over thirty years and during that
time, the cost of campaigns has continued to skyrocket. Nor is there any evidence that the
influence of money in Washington DC has diminished. Nonetheless, I believe caps are
important for keeping large donations out of politics so I will continue to
fight on this issue.
Recall
The House also passed legislation to put a
constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2010 to allow the recall of a
Governor. I was happy to support
this measure. It is still pending
in the Illinois Senate.
Other Reforms
In addition to the fight over campaign contribution
caps, the following reforms have also been passed and sent to the Governor:
Procurement
Reform (Senate Bill 51) – Much of the scandal involving former Governor
Blagojevich involved manipulations of state purchasing. The legislation we passed takes state
procurement out of the hands of the Governor’s office and places it
with independent procurement officers that are appointed by the Illinois
Executive Ethics Commission and approved by the Senate.
Pay Raises for Elected Officials (Senate Bill 2090)
– The House and Senate voted to eliminate the Compensation Review Board
that previously set salaries for legislators and statewide elected
officials. We must now take an up
or down vote on future pay raises.
We also rejected the cost of living adjustment that was to be added to
our salary this year and required four furlough days.
Access to Public Records (Senate Bill 189) – We
strengthened the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) that governs public access
to government records. For
the first time, government officials must give a reason for denying access to
records and there is a fine (up to $5,000) for illegally denying access to
the records. The position of
“Public Access Counselor” was also established to provide assistance
to citizens in obtaining access to public records and mediate disputes over
disclosure.
Ethics Investigations and Lobbyist Reform (Senate Bill
54) – This legislation gives the Executive Ethics Commissions greater
authority to investigate complaints of ethical violations in state government
and gives the public and the media greater access to information regarding
those complaints and the outcome of any investigation. Lobbyists will also be required to
disclose their clients and the amount they spend in attempting to influence
governmental action – whether it is legislative or executive.
Government Transparency (House Bill 35) –
Citizens will now have access to a searchable
database with details on how the state spends its money. The portal will include information on
the amount of the expenditure, purpose, agency of authorization and the
performance outcome.
Issues still to be dealt with are:
· Moving
the primary date to later in the spring or summer. I was the sponsor of House Bill 2308
to move the primary date from February to August
· Amending the Illinois Constitution to
change the way legislative districts are drawn after the decennial census,
and
· Term
limits for legislative leaders.
I believe
that the fight is not over and we will continue to battle on these
fronts. As always, I welcome your
thoughts and input on this and any other issue.
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