By Tim Kirsininkas
Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD — Shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday, the Illinois Senate passed a bill aiming to improve ethics standards for elected officials after it was filed just hours earlier.
An amendment to Senate Bill 539, introduced by Sen. Ann Gillespie, D-Arlington Heights, passed with bipartisan approval despite House Republicans’ concerns that it was watered down.
“This legislation takes the first steps in addressing some of the most egregious scandals in our state's history,” Gillespie said in a news conference Monday night. “While it won't end corruption overnight, it closes many of the loopholes that have allowed bad actors to game the system for decades.”