Saturday, July 24, 2010
 
sponsored by
 

Reformer hopeful about new task force on reform

Send a link to a friend

[July 24, 2010]  SPRINGFIELD -- It sounds like the pitch for a summer movie: A force of do-gooders has been tasked with finding new ways to clean up Illinois politics and restore integrity to the state once headed by Rod Blagojevich.

But that's close to the mission for a new task force named by Illinois leaders, which will study the impact of the state's recent reform laws.

One of Illinois' most prominent reformers, David Morrison with the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said he has high hopes for the task force, but he acknowledges that reform and Illinois don't always go together.

Morrison said the task force has a primary goal of reporting on new election laws enacted last year.

"It's going to take a lot of people a while to wrap their heads around whether or not (the new laws) work," he said.

Exterminator

Four members of the task force -- former lawmaker and gubernatorial candidate Dawn Clark Netsch, state Sen. Don Harmon, House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie and election lawyer Mike Kasper -- have been nominated by Democratic leaders.

Republican leaders have named Jo Ellen Johnson, Todd Maisch and John Noak to the task force. The GOP has one more pick. Gov. Pat Quinn will name three people to the task force, but he has yet to put forward any names.

Kelly Jakubek, a spokeswoman with the governor's office, said filling out the commission is on the "to do" list.

"Gov. Quinn is working diligently to make these appointments," she said.

Morrison said he's interested in who Quinn will appoint, but he is impressed by the task force so far.

Though Morrison said there will be a lot of work to do.

"There are lots of changes that need to be reviewed. We'll soon get quarterly reports from candidates ... and all $1,000 contributions will now be reported throughout the year," he said.

And there will be talk of public financing of elections.

"Public finance is the first issue on the list, but it is not the only issue," he said.

Morrison said that's been one of the goals for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform for years, particularly in judicial elections.

[to top of second column]

"Judges are different than other candidates running for office. To raise money requires something different of them," he said.

Many of the headlines about the task force have focused on the public financing role of the group. And there is already some push-back against the idea.

Morrison said it's the same old argument that he's been hearing for years.

"There are lots of ways you can say it's a terrible idea," said Morrison, "(but) it is an idea that needs to be looked at."

The reform review task force has yet to meet. They have a long way to go before anything is expected of them. The first report from the 11-member group is not due for a year and a half.

[Illinois Statehouse News; By BENJAMIN YOUNT]

Library

< Top Stories index

Back to top


 

News | Sports | Business | Rural Review | Teaching and Learning | Home and Family | Tourism | Obituaries

Community | Perspectives | Law and Courts | Leisure Time | Spiritual Life | Health and Fitness | Teen Scene
Calendar | Letters to the Editor