URGENT HELP NEEDED -- Please call House lawmakers NOW and demand real reform

May 29, 2009

In this Issue:

• URGENT HELP NEEDED -- Please call House lawmakers NOW and demand real reform

URGENT HELP NEEDED -- Please call House lawmakers NOW and demand real reform

Last night, Illinois Senate Democrats approved a fake campaign finance reform bill, HB 7, which is so riddled with loopholes and fatal flaws, even reform groups opposed it.

The bill's sponsors and even Gov. Quinn admit this proposal has serious shortcomings. Republicans are opposing it unanimously. Newspaper editorial boards across the state have condemned lawmakers for supporting fake reform legislation.

And now, even some House Democrats are publicly questioning the bill.

That's why we need you.

This fake reform bill now sits on the House floor, where Speaker Michael J. Madigan could call it for a vote any moment now.

Don't let House Democrats pass this phony reform bill.

We need you to call House Democratic leaders and your state representative NOW and demand that they pass real campaign finance reform.

Please call:
House Speaker Michael J. Madigan at (217) 782-5350,
House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie (217) 782-8121,
And your elected representative, by calling our hotline at (800) 719-3020

Tell them: Illinois needs meaningful limits on the amount of money and assistance special interest groups, businesses and individuals can give candidates and political action committees. We need caps on the amount of money political committees can send to one another. We need limits applied by election cycle -- not calendar year -- so the system doesn't unfairly benefit incumbents. We need greater transparency, so large donations are not hidden the public. And we need greater enforcement, so candidates and groups can't skirt around the law.

Please ask them to oppose HB 7 and support real campaign finance reform.