Metro East Sun

House Republican lawmakers in Illinois have introduced a legislative proposal aimed at implementing ethics reform within the state government. This initiative seeks to restore public trust and address corruption issues. State Representative Charlie Meier underscored the need for action by pointing to the record of guilty verdicts involving former members and staff of the Illinois General Assembly, including former House Speaker Michael Madigan.

"We have got to try to clean up the mess in Springfield," said Meier. "How many arrests, indictments, guilty pleas, verdicts, and prison sentences is it going to take for the majority party to actually do something to prevent corruption?"

The ethics reform legislation co-sponsored by Meier includes several key measures:

- HB 1382: Enhances the authority of the Legislative Inspector General's office by allowing it to issue subpoenas without needing prior approval from those under investigation.

- HB 1384: Focuses on reforming local government lobbying practices.

- HB 1385: Seeks to close a loophole in the revolving door policy that permits legislators to transition into lobbyist roles immediately after leaving office.

- HB 3115: Proposes a three-year ban on lobbying activities for former members of the General Assembly.

- HB 3121: Aims at implementing reforms related to representation cases and recusal processes.

- HB 1554: Prohibits public officials from using campaign funds for personal legal defense.

- HB 2813: Mandates a 72-hour review period before voting on budget proposals.

Meier expressed frustration over what he perceives as a lack of interest from the majority party in advancing these reforms. "The majority party seems totally uninterested in enacting ethics reform," he stated. "Zero of these bills have been heard in committee. Even after the long list of indictments and the black cloud that hangs over the Statehouse, not one of our proposals has been called in a committee for debate. It’s shameful."