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Illinois Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope announced her resignation last week and will leave office by Dec. 15. She cited several reasons, including her thwarted attempt to issue subpoenas without any checks or balances. “True ethics reform,” she said of the legislature, “is not a priority.”
Ms. Pope was certainly right about some things. For instance, state law currently allows inspectors general to open an investigation based on allegations, including in the news media. But that was disallowed under a new bill passed by the General Assembly in May and transmitted to the governor on June 30 unless the allegation is submitted as a formal complaint.
SPRINGFIELD â Illinois House Republicans, most of whom voted in favor of the ethics reform bill sitting on Gov. J.B. Pritzker s desk, now want Pritzker to use his amendatory veto power to remove sections of the legislation they say weaken the legislative inspector general s powers.
Thirty-four of the 45 Republican members of the Democratic-controlled House sent a letter Friday to the Democratic governor to make the request about Senate Bill 539. The bill passed the House on a 113-5 vote on May 31 and the Senate 59-0 on June 1.
State Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, an assistant House GOP leader and member of the bipartisan Legislative Ethics Commission, initiated the letter and said flaws in the bill highlighted by Carol Pope, legislative inspector general, must be corrected.
House GOP requests amendatory veto of ethics bill, says inspector general would be weaker herald-review.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from herald-review.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Peter Hancock/Capitol News Illinois file photo
Illinois Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope announced her resignation last week and will leave office by Dec. 15. She cited several reasons, including her thwarted attempt to issue subpoenas without any checks or balances. “True ethics reform,” she said of the legislature, “is not a priority.”
Ms. Pope was certainly right about some things. For instance, state law currently allows inspector generals to open an investigation based on allegations, including in the news media. But that was disallowed under a new bill passed by the General Assembly in May and transmitted to the governor on June 30 unless the allegation is submitted as a formal complaint.
Illinois House GOP asks for amendatory veto of ethics reform legislation sj-r.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sj-r.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.