From the Chicago Tribune

Blagojevich signs ethics package
Far-reaching law designed to end state scandals

By John Chase Tribune staff reporter

Published December 10, 2003

Following a string of scandals that shamed Illinois government, Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed into law Tuesday a measure aimed at cleaning up statewide offices and the legislature, much of which went into effect immediately. With dozens of politicians on hand for the ceremony, the governor signed the ethics bill less than three weeks after it sailed through both houses of the General Assembly in a single day. Passage followed months of bickering and public posturing between the governor and some of the same legislators who stood alongside him on Tuesday, creditinghim with spearheading the effort. "Today I am signing a bill into law that finally gives Illinois revolutionary ethics reform," Blagojevich said. "We are not just tinkering at the edges, tweaking here and tightening there. Today we are re-establishing the primacy of principle over politics, and in Illinois that constitutes real change." Among the most significant aspects of the package is the creation of inspectors general with subpoena powers to root out misconduct in the offices of all statewide officials, as well as the legislature. The new ethics law also creates commissions to supervise the inspectors general. One provision that prevents lobbyists or their spouses from sitting on state boards and commissions has already begun to make an impact as some lobbyists have been forced to decide whether to quit their jobs or step down from boards. Another condition stops people with significant amounts of state contracts, or their spouses, from serving on those boards and commissions. While much of the legislation went into effect with the Democratic governor's signature, the aspects dealing with boards and commissions will not become effective until Feb. 1, giving the bodies the time to make sure they are abiding by the new laws. The wide-ranging package also requires that advisers serving the constitutional officers, including Blagojevich, file economic-disclosure statements and reveal discussions they have with state regulators. It also bans some state employees who are leaving their jobs from taking positions at companies they regulated and stops public officials from promoting their names or images in state-paid public service announcements. The new law also limits to $75 a day the amount of money a lobbyist can spend on an official for food and drinks and restricts officials from taking free golf or tennis from lobbyists. Under the package, state workers could be fired for violations, while elected officials would face fines. During the ceremony at the Michael A. Bilandic Building in Chicago, Republicans and Democrats alike praised the legislation as long overdo, though some took a different view on how the bill came to fruition. Senate President Emil Jones insisted an ethics bill sent to the governor earlier this year was not watered down as the governor has contended. Blagojevich used his amendatory veto language to strike down that legislation. Other than that, though, most had nothing but good words for the governor. House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego said members of his party have been hammering out ethics reform for more than a year but credited Blagojevich for holding the line. "He kept the bill alive," Cross said. Some Democrats even made direct mention of the scandal many believe forced the bill's passage, the 5-year-old and still ongoing federal licenses-for-bribes Operation Safe Road investigation that is aimed at the secretary of state's office while it was run by George Ryan, Blagojevich's Republican predecessor. More than 50 people have been convicted in the probe. Copyright © 2003, Chicago Tribune