From the office of Senator Sally Turner
Senate Republicans once again push for tougher ethics reforms
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[January 28, 2022]
Illinois Senate Republicans are once again pushing for tougher ethics
reforms that will hold politicians more accountable and better equip
officials to investigate public corruption. On Jan. 27, they outlined
several much-needed and long-overdue reforms to help restore
Illinoisans’ faith in their state government.
“Year after year, study after study, Illinois continues to rank as one
of the most corrupt states in the country by outlets such as Forbes,
FiveThirtyEight, and the Washington Post. According to Forbes, Illinois
has experienced the second highest number of federal public corruption
convictions per capita,” said State Senator Jil Tracy, Chair of the
Legislative Ethics Committee. “We must open the blinds in the
smoke-filled back rooms, shine more light on politically-motivated
activities, and make it easier for prosecutors to go after the bad
actors who are out there.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Jan/28/images/ads/current/fricke_sda_LUAL_2021.png)
During the press conference, the Republican senators announced Senate
Bill 3636, which they say will help ensure that lawmakers are looking
out for their constituents rather than special interests, and give
prosecutors and the Attorney General enhanced tools to effectively
investigate and prosecute public officials who break the law.
“Our constituents expect us to be held to high ethical standards. They
must know that we are adhering to the spirit of the law so that they can
be confident that their representatives are representing them, not
special interests,” said State Senator Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) “To
regain the trust of the people of our state, we must close the loopholes
that lawmakers have used and abused over the years.”
“Our legislation will finally implement a change in culture here in
Illinois and allow us to have a government that is instilled with trust
and integrity,” said State Senator Sally Turner (R-Beason). “Our
constituents are tired of waiting. We must act now. It is time for
legislators who have promised to combat corruption to keep their word.”
“General Assembly members are charged with representing Illinoisans, NOT
serving their own personal interests,” said State Senator Sue Rezin
(R-Morris). “State lawmakers must be held to higher standards of ethical
behavior. With these reforms, we are working to hold them accountable
and, in the process, restore some of the public trust that has been so
terribly abused in recent years by politicians who have not served in
good faith.”
“We have a real opportunity to finally bring about real, meaningful
ethics reform that the state desperately needs,” said State Senator
Brian Stewart (R-Freeport). “We cannot allow the progress we
accomplished last year to be the end of our push for ethics reform. We
must continue to fight for a better and more ethical government that
every citizen of our state wants and deserves.”
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Jan/28/images/ads/current/xamis_lda_LUAL_2016.png)
Senate Bill 3636:
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Prohibits a General
Assembly member, their spouse, or any immediate family member
from lobbying as long as the individual is a member of the
General Assembly.
-
Prohibits a legislator
during their term of office from negotiating employment with a
lobbying firm (such as a job after their term of office), if
that firm lobbies the General Assembly.
-
Strengthens the
revolving door for General Assembly members to prohibit them
from lobbying for 12 months after leaving office (currently 6
months).
-
Limits a lobbyist’s
political activity so that anyone who is a lobbyist cannot be an
officer for a candidate’s political committee or be a candidate
supported by a political action committee.
-
Expands the authority
of a statewide grand jury to investigate and indict offenses
involving the corruption of a public official, to include theft,
fraud, extortion, or a violation of the official misconduct and
public contracts articles of the criminal code of 2012.
-
Expands Illinois'
R.I.C.O. law to include bribery, official misconduct,
solicitation of misconduct, and legislative misconduct.
The announcement of Senate Bill 3636 comes on the heels of the
resignation of former Legislative Inspector General, Carol Pope.
Currently, that position remains vacant after Democrat members of the
Legislative Ethics Commission have failed to accept the recommended
candidate brought forward by an independent search committee.
“Democrats want to hand-pick their own watchdog. That is not OK,” said
State Senator Don DeWitte (R-St. Charles). “It has been three weeks
without a Legislative Inspector General, leaving legislators policing
themselves. That is the complete opposite of how we gain back the
public’s trust.”
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2022/Jan/28/images/ads/current/beltone_lda_LUAL_2021.png)
On January 6, following Pope’s resignation, Senate Republicans announced
Senate Bill 3030, which would give the Legislative Inspector General
more power to investigate potential corruption.
Neither Senate Bill 3030 or Senate Bill 3636 have been released from the
Senate’s Assignments Committee.
[Marcus J. Durrett
Illinois Senate Republican Staff
Communications and Public Affairs] |