Blagojevich puts teeth into state ethics law

June 13, 2003

BY STEVE NEAL SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

By using his amendatory veto to toughen ethics legislation, Gov. Blagojevich is ending business as usual.

The statehouse crowd isn't happy about it. But the governor is making good on a campaign promise to open up state government and reduce the influence of special interests.

In the wake of the scandals that tainted former Gov. George H. Ryan's administration, Illinois is ready for sweeping ethics reform. There are currently federal investigations of possible misuse of state employees in three of the four legislative caucuses.

The General Assembly passed legislation that prohibits the use of state resources on campaigns and tightened lobbying and fund-raising rules. But the Senate weakened Blagojevich's ethics package by removing provisions for oversight and enforcement.

That's unacceptable to Blagojevich. In his amendatory veto, he restores the executive inspector general's oversight authority and also requires that every state employee follow the same ethics rules and regulations.

To reduce conflict of interest and the appearance of impropriety, Blagojevich is slowing down the revolving door. Under the General Assembly's legislation, a state official who has negotiated a $25,000 contract must wait a year before going to work for that firm. The General Assembly's bill also allows constitutional officers to make exceptions for their employees.

That's wrong. Blagojevich has rewritten the legislation to prohibit officials who have "participated personally and subtantially in the subject matter of transaction" from cashing in. Blagojevich is applying the same standard to the state as the city and federal government. His amendatory veto extends the law beyond the direct negotiator to those who had influence over the negotiations. Blagojevich also is removing the right of constitutional officers to grant waivers on the revolving door and is giving that authority to the Ethics Commission.

Blagojevich is shaking up the good ole boys by tightening the Gift Ban Act. Under the version passed by legislators, there are still loopholes that allow public officials and state workers to accept unlimited golf, tennis, food and cocktails from special interests. Blagojevich, who thinks that those junkets to Hilton Head and Palm Desert are ill-advised, is closing the loophole that allows public officials to take these freebies and is setting a $75 daily limit on the amount of food and cocktails that a public official or state worker may accept. The Blagojevich modifications to the gift act are in the public interest.

Under the General Assembly's legislation, there is no ethics commission. Blagojevich, through his amendatory veto, is creating an ethics commission with seven members. He would appoint four commissioners, and three would be named by state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka as the only GOP statewide officeholder.

These commissioners would be named to five-year terms and would have to be confirmed by a majority vote of the Illinois Senate. This panel would have jurisdiction over all statewide executive officeholders.

The executive inspector general would have direct subpoena power and the ability to investigate wrongdoing and would have the power to impose sanctions against rogue public officials.

Under the legislation passed by the General Assembly, whistleblowers can't be heard. Blagojevich is establishing an ethics hotline for state employees to report concerns and wrongdoing.

The General Assembly increased the lobbyist registration fee from $50 to $100, and Blagojevich is increasing that fee to $500. He is also making a non-profit exemption of $150.

Blagojevich is also stopping the practice of statewide elected officials running for re-election on taxpayer-funded television commercials. Under the General Assembly's legislation, statewide officeholders or legislators can't appear or speak in public service announcements after they have filed for re-election.

He is prohibiting the use of the name, image or voice of statewide officeholders or legislators in public service commercials. Blagojevich is ending the use of state dollars for the personal promotion of statewide officeholders and legislators. It is his intent to put the emphasis on the public service message rather than the officeholder.

His appeal is to the general public, and Blagojevch's targets are the special interests. It's about time that a governor sought to reduce the influence of lobbyists and campaign contributors. Illinois is ready for reform.