House Republicans Offer Comprehensive Ethics Proposal

By HRO News Network

State Representative Bill Black (R-Danville) said the provisions of the Republican plan address persistent real and perceived problems plaguing Illinois government.

"Whether it is true in every case or not, Illinois has a reputation for deals involving campaign contributions in exchange for state contracts," said Black. "The plan we are proposing will help restore the public's trust in our government by requiring greater transparency."

"We must make it crystal clear that government contracts and jobs are not for sale in Illinois!" stressed State Representative Renée Kosel (R-New Lenox). "As elected officials, we must all be accountable to the families we represent, not to special interest seeking to buy influence."

Highlights of the 2005 House Republican Ethics and Procurement Reforms include:

? Ironclad ban on accepting campaign gifts from big contractors ($25,000 or more). This ban will apply to all campaign gifts from all contractors with a total of $25,000 or more in State contracts with the office of any elected State official. If any elected State official who has authority over State contracts and who has signed or supervised the signing of a contract or contracts worth $25,000 or more gets a campaign contribution from the contractor, he or she must return the money within 30 days. If the money is not returned, the Comptroller is ordered not to pay the contractor.


? For contracts worth from $10,000 up to $25,000, campaign gifts won't be banned but will be subjected to a climate of strict openness. For all contracts worth $10,000 or more in value, bidders will be made, as part of the packet they submit as part of their bid for the contract, to disclose all of the campaign contributions they made within the last two years prior to the awarding of the contract.

? A reciprocal sunshine law for all campaign gifts of $10,000 or more. Current law requires all campaign gifts of $500 or more, given within 30 days of an election, to be reported electronically to the State Board of Elections and publicly disclosed. This system (called "the A-1 system") works well. We should create a similar system for all campaign gifts of $10,000 or more, no matter when in the election cycle they are given. They should be reported and publicly disclosed immediately.

? Toughen up the Procurement Code. Closes loopholes in the Procurement Code by removing the right of procurement officers to grant contracts to shell firms, reduce the right to declare "emergency" and evade the rules of the Procurement Code, and repeal the ability of powerful officials to hide who owns and benefits from interests in the firms that are contractors to the State.

"Speaker Madigan's ethics proposal is a good start, but it fails to address what may be our biggest problem in Illinois: pay-to-play," said State Representative Bill Mitchell (R-Forsyth) "Week after week we continue to see headlines about companies holding major state contracts who have been found to have made substantial campaign contributions shortly before or after being awarded the contract. Coincidence or not, taxpayers have had enough."

State Representative Beth Coulson (R-Glenview) said cleaning up the state Pension Boards also takes priority in the House Republican plan.

"I have heard from many teachers and state employees who are angry about the recent scandals involving alleged improprieties by those entrusted to invest state pension fund dollars. Our plan includes provisions to ban under the table pension fees, prohibit conflicts of interest and to require competitive bidding for investment advisor services," Coulson said.

"In 2003, House Republicans led the way in passing the most sweeping ethics reform legislation in decades. There was no question then and there's no question now that questionable and improper practices are blemishing the face of state government. The 2003 ethics law has made a difference and the proposals we make today will take us further down the road to meaningful reform," Black concluded.