April 30, 2008

In This Issue:

  • Agreement Reached on Pay to Play

Agreement Reached on Pay to Play
Weeks of careful negotiations have resulted in an agreement between House and Senate sponsors of legislation to discourage pay-to-play state contracting.  The compromise adds new disclosure requirements suggested by the Senate to the key elements of House Bill 1.  The compromise was announced at a press conference today by ICPR Director Cindi Canary, State Rep. John Fritchey, State Sen. Don Harmon, Comptroller Dan Hynes and other legislators and supporters.  Central to the negotiations was an agreement that leaders of both chambers are committed to an override of any outright or amendatory veto by the governor.  ICPR is very encouraged by this agreement to combat the pay-to-play practices, which have plagued Illinois for too many years. By prohibiting campaign contributions by large contractors, Illinois can take a significant step toward reassuring the public that tax dollars are being spent fairly and the public’s business is being put first.

Now is the time to contact your legislators and urge them to support this compromise.  With the Rezko trial as a backdrop, it is imperative that the legislature sends a clear message to contractors, politicians, and voters alike that change is coming to the environment that has allowed pay-to-play to flourish.

Click here for contact information for members of the House and Senate . Here are some recent editorials on the need for pay to play reforms:

Decatur Herald & Review (4/30/08)
State Journal-Register (4./29/08)
Bloomington Pantagraph (4/29/08)
Rockford Register Star (4/29/08)
St. Louis Post Dispatch (4/28/08)

ICPR Spotcheck is a publication of The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, a non-partisan public interest group that educates, conducts research, and advocates reforms to promote public participation in government, address the role of money in politics, and encourage integrity, accountability, and transparency in government.

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