State Journal-Register
November 21, 2003
Editorial

Finally, ethics bill has teeth

WE WERE disappointed in Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his indecision over whether it was OK to attend a political fund-raiser in Springfield this week while the General Assembly was in session.

The fund-raiser Tuesday was organized by a group (the Democratic County Chairmen's Association) whose head happens to also be the person in charge of doing the hiring for the governor - John Gianulis. The fund-raiser also was taking place on a day the General Assembly was in session and state employees were solicited to donate. "Look at me, governor! I'm giving money to the party!" It seemed fraught with potential ethical conflicts.

IT SEEMED a no-brainer that the governor should not attend. But it didn't seem quite so clear to Blagojevich. The governor flip-flopped several times before finally deciding he would not go. He seemed uncomfortable relying on his own moral/ethical compass, and instead looked for a legal ruling.

"If the law allows me and the ethical rules allow me to do it, I'm going. If I'm prohibited by the rules, then I won't," said Blagojevich before finally making the right decision not to go.

However, on a positive note, at least we have a governor who is struggling with whether something is right or wrong, and one who has proven committed to putting in place some tough and enforceable ethics rules.

THANKS IN LARGE part to Blagojevich, the General Assembly did not get away with the feeble version of ethics legislation it approved in the spring. Blagojevich vetoed that bill, which at the last minute had its enforcement guts removed, and demanded that a meaningful bill be approved in veto session.

The governor forced the General Assembly to revisit the issue. And the result was a drastic improvement in ethics regulations in Illinois. Of course, not all of the credit goes to the governor. It takes agreement among the legislative leaders to get anything done at the Statehouse.

But it was Blagojevich who insisted the bill be given some teeth. And he won that battle. The compromise legislation includes independent inspector generals with subpoena powers for each constitutional officer and the General Assembly. Two ethics commissions will also have oversight authority - one for the executive branch and one for the legislature.
THE STATE'S GIFT ban laws were significantly strengthened. Lobbyists and their family members can no longer serve on state boards and commissions. And state officials will no longer be allowed to use taxpayer-funded public service announcements as free campaign commercials.

Finally, at the insistence of Senate Minority Leader Frank Watson, R-Greenville, the ethics bill was improved to deal with what he called the "shadow government." That politically charged phrase really translates to those unpaid, close personal advisers of the governor and other constitutional officers.

UNDER THE IMPROVED ethics legislation, these unpaid advisers will be required to file a statement of economic interest if they communicate on behalf of the governor or other state executive with any of the state's 31 licensing or regulatory panels - such as the Illinois Commerce Commission or Pollution Control Board - to influence a pending matter. The fact they contacted the board will also be made public.

True ethics start in the heart, but this improved legislation should go a long way toward avoiding some of the ethics disasters Illinois state government has faced in the past.