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* WGN…
A do-over in Springfield is set to take place Thursday, as Democratic leaders say they will try again to approve ethics legislation that people on both sides of the aisle call ‘watered down.’
The Illinois House is back in Springfield to consider urgent energy legislation. But what about ethics reform?
“We will be voting on that AV tomorrow, we will have all of our members there and I’m sure it will be approved,” said Democratic Majority Leader Greg Harris.
Last week, the House rejected Governor Pritzker’s amendatory veto (AV) of an ethics bill that passed in May, throwing its fate into question.
Harris says although Democrats can pass it with their supermajority, he hopes Republicans go along with it.
It came up short because a bunch of House Democrats left town. It wasn’t a policy thing.
* And Leader Harris may have expressed hope, but it’s not the plan…
On Wednesday, anticipating Democrats will try to call the bill again, state Rep. Mike Marron, R-Fithian, said Republicans will oppose the motion. He said passing weak reforms gives cover to kicking the can down the road on real reforms.
“Given the circumstances of where we’re at right now, I don’t think that we can do that,” Marron said. “We have to be honest with people. We have to take meaningful reform.”
Republicans say they have strong reform bills ready to vote on if Democrats would cooperate.
To the governor’s changes to the ethics bill, state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said he should have given the legislative watchdog more independence to investigate wrongdoing of legislators and staff. Legislative Inspector General Carol Pope announced she’s resigning the position because of the lack of strong ethics reforms. Instead, Bourne said the governor’s change impacts the inspectors for executive agencies.
“So he’s actually trying to bring less oversight of his own agencies with his amendatory veto,” Bourne said in a news conference Wednesday.
* More…
“We say that we’ve fixed the problem and it really does nothing to change anything,” said Rep. Mike Marron (R-Fithian). “That would cause such a lack of faith in confidence in us that it would just be unforgivable.” […]
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) served on the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying throughout 2020. That group spent months listening to testimony about necessary changes. Still, they missed the deadline to give a final report to lawmakers. Windhorst is one of several lawmakers upset that the group never submitted the information. He feels ethics fell in importance.
That’s why Windhorst filed an ethics omnibus bill last spring, including many proposals previously introduced by Republicans. His proposal would create a one-year revolving door ban for lawmakers hoping to become lobbyists. The plan also gives more power to the Legislative Inspector General. But, most importantly, the LIG would have subpoena power without prior approval from the Legislative Ethics Commission.
“The Democrats’ ethics package so impaired the LIG’s ability to do her job that our current Legislative Inspector General submitted her resignation after the legislation passed,” said Windhorst. “She pointed out specific deficiencies in the bill in her letter of resignation.
Nobody says they’ve fixed the problem and the bill does change some things. C’mon, Mike.
* Videos…
* WTTW’s Chicago Tonight
* WSIL TV
* WBBM Radio
*** UPDATE *** As expected, the House has accepted the governor’s AV. Republican Reps. Amy Elik and Jeff Keicher joined the Democrats on the motion…
…Adding… Comptroller Mendoza…
Illinois State Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s “no exit bonus/no signing bonus” reform will be enacted as part of a larger ethics package after lawmakers today voted 74-41 to accept the governor’s amendatory veto of the legislation.
The measure ends the shady practice of legislators leaving the General Assembly in disgrace but dating their exit on the first day of the following month to claim an extra month’s pay for a day’s work.
“This is a matter of common sense and accountability,” Mendoza said. “Waitresses and factory workers don’t collect a month’s pay for a day’s work, and legislators don’t deserve that luxury either – especially on the backs of Illinois taxpayers.”
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:12 am
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when the mail pieces hit next fall and the R’s have to start explaining their vote, they will have already lost he argument
Comment by NotRich Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:18 am
===we will have all of our members there====
Not sure if that is entirely true. What are the rules this session for the House to vote remotely? I saw a rep on facebook going on trip but saying they planned to be voting remotely.
Comment by Been There Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:21 am
===What are the rules this session for the House to vote remotely? ===
Please try to keep up. The remote rule doesn’t expire until just before veto session.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:30 am
I’m generally against making the perfect the enemy of the good, and it seems especially fraught when a vote against the good can be easily turned into a negative mailer.
Comment by Arsenal Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 11:35 am
====Please try to keep up. The remote rule doesn’t expire until just before veto session.====
Thanks. My bad but sometimes I just can’t remember or too lazy or too busy so I just asked. Also wanted to point out that Greg’s statement made it seem like they were all going to be there in person which is what I guess I was trying to point out as not necessarily true. But same result so I its a moot point anyway.
Comment by Been There Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 12:30 pm
LOL. The HGOP’s just threw Darren Bailey under the bus.
So 3 out of 4 legislative caucuses just voted for ethics reform, but not House Republicans. Brilliant.
Comment by low level Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 2:22 pm
So Avery Bourne, who initially voted for the ethics bill, then had second thoughts and called on the Governor to AV it, now votes against the AV? She has more flips than Simone Biles. The ILGOP are so eager to be against something they are the anti-party.
Comment by Jason Bourne Thursday, Sep 9, 21 @ 8:11 pm