A bill changing various aspects of how the state will regulate ethics will soon be up to the governor, but some are urging him to use his amendatory veto power to strengthen t
The Illinois Senate passed a bill aiming to improve ethics standards for elected officials just hours after it was filed, casting the final vote around 1 a.m. Tuesday.
Let’s start with a proponent…
On May 31, the Senate and House approved a package of reforms that address some of Illinois’ most glaring ethical problems. State Senator John Curran (R-Downers Grove), a former Cook County Prosecutor, was the lead Senate Republican negotiator of the bill.
“With every new indictment or arrest of an elected official, the people of Illinois lose more faith in their government,” said Sen. Curran. “Through give-and-take bipartisan negotiations, today we took a large step forward in delivering real ethics reform. Through SB 539, we will hold elected officials to a higher ethical standard and we will empower our Legislative Inspector General (LIG) to independently investigate allegations of political corruption without first having to obtain permission to investigate from a panel of sitting lawmakers. This new level of autonomy is a crucial element of the reforms we passed today.”