Metro East Sun

State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) worries that omnibus ethics reform legislation now being debated in the House doesn’t go far enough in protecting the public.

“We have seen time after time members of this body, elected officials in Illinois, who have gone against the public’s trust,” Bourne said on the House floor.  “If we’re going to show the public they can have a renewed sense of trust in state government, we’ve got to do something a whole lot better than this watered-down, really deceptive ethics reform. We are looking at actually taking away some of the jurisdiction of the inspector general.”

Bourne argues the legislation is in no way aligned with what the people of the state have indicated they want to see from Springfield.

“This bill literally does not ban some members of this body from being lobbyists,” she said. “If we are going to have real anti-corruption safeguards in place in this body we’ve got to do a heck of a lot better than this and that starts with really empowering the legislature so there is not a protectionist racket called the LEC or LIG to make it look like we’re policing ourselves.”

Bourne has joined her Republican colleagues in pushing the party’s Reform Illinois campaign, a plan focused on ending the culture of corruption; instituting responsible fiscal leadership; growing jobs and public safety.

“I stand here with and on behalf of my colleagues to put forth a positive and actionable plan to make Illinois a better place to live and work and raise our families,” Bourne said at a March 15 press conference outlining the priorities of Republicans.

Bourne has long argued the pathway for ending what ails Springfield has already been laid out in plans previously proposed by some lawmakers.

“This includes exposing and eliminating conflict of interest and banning assembly members from lobbying,” she said, adding, “empowering citizens to act when the legislature does not” also stands to make a major difference.

Bourne added the way to keep people committed to being in the state is for the government to give people the confidence to build and grow their businesses across the state.

“We need to enact meaningful ways we can care for our families by giving them opportunities and education,” she said. “We also need to create a back-the-badge program, reform or repeal our FOID system and study the recent bail reform plan. We really believe these are reforms that will help Illinois be the best home we can be.”