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Now that former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan has been replaced by a successor, state Rep.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.
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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.