By BGA Policy Team
Springfield Capitol and sky in Springfield, Illinois (GoodFreePhotos.com)
The Better Government Association stands with Reform for Illinois, Common Cause Illinois and CHANGE Illinois in voicing deep disappointment with the feeble ethics bill passed May 31 by the General Assembly.
The bill, which cleared both houses and soon will be on its way to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, contains some incremental improvements that are long overdue. But this legislation has been 18 months in the making. It’s fair to ask: Is that all?
The work of the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform highlighted many deficiencies in the state’s ethics laws. This legislation barely scratches the surface.
The BGA muckrakers are at it again. So pitiful.
=== has yet to utter a quotable phrase on or off script.===
Huh?
You mean, let me understand this cause, ya know maybe it’s me, but unquotable how, I mean unquotable, not a clown, Harmon isn’t amusing them, making them laugh, Is Harmon there to amuse them with quotes? What do they mean unquotable, unquotable how?
How do I know what’s unquotable? They said he’s unquotable.
- not for nothing - Tuesday, Mar 9, 21 @ 9:50 am:
A great ethics proposal no one’s talking about:
Any entity that both registers as a lobbyist under the Act and chooses to publish news and opinion shall disclose donors, salary data, contracts, and be subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
Illinois corruption reforms gain momentum with Madigan gone
Illinois corruption reforms gain momentum with Madigan gone With Mike Madigan out as Illinois House speaker, state lawmakers have a unique opportunity to turn around the second-most corrupt state in the country. Ethics proposals are gaining support.
Now that former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been replaced by a successor, state Rep. Emanuel “Chris” Welch, there is hope for the state rated as second-most corrupt in the nation.
Welch has indicated he will back some ethics reforms that should give Illinoisans hope for improved transparency and accountability in Springfield. One of his goals is to pass an ethics reform package before the General Assembly adjourns in May, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Illinois House kicks off busy lame duck session wgem.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wgem.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The Illinois legislature hoped to build on its blockbuster 2019 with a comprehensive energy bill, changes to the tax structure for a Chicago casino to ensure the project’s viability, a worker classification bill for the gig economy, and ethics and lobbying reform. Substantive legislative work for the year had just begun when COVID-19 disrupted these plans. Going from a nearly six-month legislative session to a truncated one of just a few days meant the focus this year shifted to dealing with only essential items like the budget, COVID-19-related matters, and the hospital assessment. Many of the legislature’s 2020 agenda items therefore are expected to re-emerge in 2021.