From the St. Louis Post Dispatch

Governor pushes ethics hot line
By MIKE RAMSEY
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE

CHICAGO - Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday touted a new tool to fight
corruption in state government as he again encouraged state lawmakers to
support his rewrite of a broad ethics bill.
His inspector general's division has begun taking tips through a toll-free
hot line - (866) 814-1113 - and a Web site, inspectorgeneral.il.gov. The
newly created office, headed by former federal prosecutor Z. Scott,
investigates wrongdoing in the agencies, boards and commissions under the
governor's control.
"Starting today, the office of the inspector general is officially open for
business," Blagojevich, appearing with Scott, told a group of civic and
business leaders in Chicago.
The governor also discussed his recent amendatory veto of an ethics package
that passed the Democrat-controlled legislature in the spring. Blagojevich,
himself a Democrat, last month added several provisions to the bill and has
threatened to keep lawmakers in Springfield this fall if they don't go along
with his changes.
They include bans on lobbyist gifts such as free golf and tennis and a $75
cap on the amount of money lobbyists can spend on legislators and state
employees per day.
Additionally, the governor's version of the ethics bill would create an
executive-branch inspector general who could investigate other
constitutional offices. Also, elected officials would be prohibited from
appearing in public-service announcements.
Blagojevich suggested he's willing to compromise on some points in the
November veto session, but he was short on specifics.
"This is not about pride of ownership," he told the civic leaders. "Whether
the legislature passes my amendatory veto or if they pass another bill
containing the same reforms and same principles, all the better. I just want
to get to where we have to go."
The Illinois Republican Party issued a news release accusing Blagojevich of
his own ethical lapses. Examples included the use of state employees to
monitor newscasts about the administration and Illinois State Fair bumper
stickers that prominently featured Blagojevich's name.
"Before the governor jumps in front of the next available television camera,
perhaps he should take a look at what his own administration is doing,"
Republican Party spokesman Jason Gerwig said in a written statement.
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