Premium for policies (Editorial)

   
Can $70,800 buy you an Illinois legislative study group?

Probably not. But you could look at it as buying an insurance policy.

The insurance industry so far this year gave $70,800 to the four state lawmakers chairing the group that is making recommendations on governing and funding a state insurance exchange -- our state's implementation of the federal Affordable Care Act, known less kindly as Obamacare. One of the four is our own state Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton.

According to a story by The State Journal-Register in Springfield, the $70,800 comes after the four last year got $404,265 from insurers. Haine got $20,900 last year and $26,050 so far this year.

Whenever lawmakers are asked about campaign cash influencing their votes, they always deny it has an impact. We'd be shocked if they said anything else.