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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 25, 2007 |
Contact: Cindi Canary (312)335-1767 |
SPRINGFIELD – Legislation aimed at limiting the influence of big campaign
contributors passed the Illinois House Thursday with the strong support of legislators
from both political parties.
“So many big campaign contributors receive big state government contracts
that the public no longer buys the explanation that it is just a coincidence,”
said Cynthia Canary, Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform
(ICPR). “The public is convinced that political connections often are
more important than qualifications or price.”
House Bill 1 would prohibit business owners with more than $25,000 in state
contracts from making campaign contributions to officeholders awarding the contracts.
It also would require contract bidders to disclose past campaign contributions
to the constitutional officer responsible for awarding the contracts and would
prohibit state officers, employees and their spouses from profiting from state
bond deals.
“There are reasons that phrases like ‘follow the money’ and
‘pay to play’ have such currency,” Canary said. “The
public has followed the money, and too often the giver of campaign cash is the
recipient of government dollars. The perception that you have to pay-to-play
is detrimental to public confidence in government and discourages honest business
owners from even considering bidding on state contracts.”
HB 1 is part of a package of ethics reforms advocated by Comptroller Dan Hynes, Treasurer Alexi Giannoulis and a coalition of reform organizations.
In addition to ICPR, the supporters include Citizen Action Illinois, the Better
Government Association, the Citizen Advocacy Center, Common Cause Illinois,
Illinois PIRG, the League of Women Voters of Illinois and Protestants for the
Common Good.
HB 1 was sent to the Senate by a vote of 116 to 0. State Rep. John Fritchey,
D-Chicago, is the sponsor HB 1. The chief co-sponsors are Minority Leader Tom
Cross, R-Oswego, and State Reps. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock; Elaine Nekritz, D-Northbrook;
and Elizabeth Coulson, R-Glenview.
Two other bills in the ethics reform package are House Bill 8, which strengthens
state laws regulating lobbying of state government, and Senate Bill 222, which
provides for voluntary public funding of appellate and supreme court election
campaigns. Both await floor votes.
Additional information about these bills can be found at www.ilcampaign.org.