The Pantagraph

Approve ethics reform 'as is' -- add more teeth to it later

May 28, 2008
The ethics reform bill approved 56-0 by the Illinois Senate last week might not be perfect, but it is a huge step in the right direction in a state that has seen its last governor sent to federal prison and close associates of the current governor under scrutiny.
The House should approve the Senate version without changes and Gov. Rod Blagojevich should sign it without changes.
We emphasize the need to approve House Bill 824 "as is" because any changes increase the risk of the whole proposal being shot down.
A little reform is better than no reform, and this bill could go a long way toward restoring public confidence in the integrity of state government.
Among other things, the measure would prohibit businesses with more than $50,000 in state contracts from making political donations to elected officials in the executive branch whose offices are responsible for awarding the contracts. The ban would also apply to persons affiliated with those businesses.
The intent is to remove the suspicion that one has to "pay to play" in Illinois - in other words, to make it clear that contracts are not awarded based on who makes campaign contributions.
There are loopholes, such as donating to a party committee instead of directly to the officials awarding the contracts.
The measure still would leave Illinois among the states without limits on the amount of political donations businesses and individuals can make.
But those shortcomings can be addressed at another time.
If the governor is serious about political reform, he will sign the bill presented to him by the Legislature and seek lawmakers to introduce stronger legislation at another time.
Anyone - from the governor to members of the Legislature - who short-circuits this bill by claiming it isn't strong enough is, at best, insincere and, more likely, deceitful.
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