FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 1, 2006 		Contact: Cynthia Canary
312-335-1767

Morgan Broman
202-296-5860 ext. 14

Business Leaders to Convene in Chicago
to Address Campaign Finance Reform
Illinois State Attorney General Lisa Madigan to Highlight Need for Reform

Leaders of national and state campaign reform efforts will brief the Illinois business community on reforms pending in Washington D.C. and Springfield, and will encourage increased involvement by business leaders in the debate at a forum on June 7.

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan will deliver the keynote address and Illinois Comptroller Daniel W. Hynes will provide additional remarks at the event, hosted by the Committee for Economic Development (CED), a non-profit, non-partisan Washington, D.C. based business-led research and policy organization, and the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Cynthia Canary of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and Charles E.M. Kolb of CED will discuss both state and national perspectives on reforming the way political campaigns are financed.

CED has been at the forefront of national reform, calling on the U.S. Senate to follow the House of Representative’s lead and pass legislation requiring 527s to be regulated by the Federal Election Commission (FEC), imposing dollar limits on contributions from individuals, and banning contributions from corporations and labor unions.

WHAT: Luncheon Forum Addressing State and National Election Reform

KEYNOTE: The Honorable Lisa Madigan, Illinois State Attorney General

SPEAKERS:
• The Honorable Daniel W. Hynes, Illinois Comptroller
• Ron Grzywinski, Chairman & President, ShoreBank Corporation
• Cynthia Canary, Director, The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
• Charles E.M. Kolb, President, CED

WHEN: Wednesday, June 7, 2006 – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m.

WHERE: Swissotel Chicago
323 East Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL

NOTE: CED has released a report, Building on Reform: A Business Proposal to Strengthen Election Finance, calling for stricter finance measures in federal campaigns (see www.ced.org).
For more information, please contact Morgan Broman at 202.296.5860 ext. 14 or morgan.broman@ced.org or Alissa Schulman at 202.667.0901 Alissa.Schulman@widmeyer.com



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