Governor to use veto power on ethics bill

From the Associated Press:

Governor to use veto power on ethics bill

Blagojevich says he plans special session if legislators don't OK changes this fall

Friday, June 13, 2003

By Maura Kelly
The Associated Press

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Calling an ethics bill approved by the Legislature "little more than a half-measure," Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Thursday he would use his veto powers to restore enforcement provisions removed by lawmakers and send the issue back to legislators.
The governor said that if the Legislature does not consider his changes during the fall veto session scheduled for Nov. 4-6 and Nov. 18-20, he will call a special session and keep lawmakers in Springfield until they make the changes.

"We're not going to adjourn without getting something done that's real and meaningful on ethics reform," Blagojevich said during a news conference at the James R. Thompson Center.

Spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said the governor would call a special session if legislators do not approve a bill containing the changes he outlined and would keep them in session until a "complete reform package" that met his approval was in place.

Lawmakers must decide whether to accept Blagojevich's changes with a simple majority vote, override them with a three-fifths majority in each chamber or let the ethics bill die by taking no action.

The original ethics bill that lawmakers approved would prevent state workers from doing political work on state time, require ethics training for state employees and protect "whistleblowers" who turn in co-workers who break the law. Some parts of the bill mirror federal law, but supporters said it was important to close any perceived loopholes in state law.

"That legislation does take some important steps and we will preserve that progress. But if we stop now, we will end up with an ethics reform package that is little more than a half-measure dressed up as a solution," said Blagojevich, who had not actually vetoed the bill by Thursday evening.

Lawmakers removed provisions in the bill creating two inspectors general to enforce the law, two ethics commissions and a hot line state workers could turn to for advice.

An exemption that allows state leaders to accept golf and tennis outings from lobbyists also was added back into the legislation after lawmakers complained about losing the privilege.

Blagojevich's changes would eliminate the golf and tennis exemptions, and place a $75 cap per day on the amount that lobbyists can spend on food and drink for a government official.

He also would create an inspector general to investigate reports of misconduct in the executive branch and establish an ethics commission to review information gathered by the inspector general.

Blagojevich said he would tighten a provision in the bill that banned the use of a state official's image or voice in public service announcements during campaign season. Instead, the governor wants to completely ban such announcements that feature the image, voice or name of constitutional officers or lawmakers.

Lawmakers who had criticized the original ethics bill as weak hailed the governor's proposed changes.

"I actually applaud the governor for using his executive power to provide all Illinoisans with a system that requires checks and balances, oversight, accountability and the ability to restore confidence and integrity to Illinois government," said state Sen. Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest), the bill's sponsor.

Garrett had asked Blagojevich to use his amendatory veto power to strengthen the ethics bill, which was watered down in the Senate after it passed the House.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross, the bill's House sponsor, will push for Blagojevich's changes to be considered in the veto session and plans to draft a bill that creates an ethics commission for the Legislature, spokesman David Dring said.

"This mirrors very much the original legislation we passed out of the House," Dring said. "It has more teeth, which has been our goal all along."

Ethics reform in the Legislature was triggered by a scandal surrounding former Gov. George Ryan, who left office in January. His former chief of staff and his campaign committee were convicted of racketeering that stemmed from Ryan's years as Illinois secretary of state.

Jurors found that they used tax dollars and state employees working on state time to fuel Ryan's campaigns for almost a decade.

David Morrison, coordinator for the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said he was encouraged by Blagojevich's changes and hoped lawmakers would act on them.

"The amendatory veto certainly raises the stakes on all of this. There's the possibility we might end up with nothing," Morrison said.