Sangamon Sun

Several groups are calling for the 102nd General Assembly to be more transparent as it works on ethics legislation after serious concerns in previous years.

The Better Government Association (BGA), Change Illinois, Common Cause Illinois and Reform for Illinois are worried about transparency after the 101st General Assembly met in the middle of the night to discuss an 87-page ethics bill on Jan. 12.

“This bill was introduced in the final hours of the 101st General Assembly with no notice to stakeholders and without the promised public report from the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform,” the groups said in a news release. “While the clock ran out on the session before the bill could pass, the process was deeply concerning to those of us who care about open, ethical government. It flew in the face of transparency, did little to remedy Illinois’ reputation as a bastion of closed-room deals and political corruption, and further undermined public trust in state government.”

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, a report was delayed from being released by the Joint Commission on Ethics and Lobbying Reform, the statement read.

“More than six months later, we called on the Commission to finally issue its recommendations,” the groups wrote. “The last we heard of the Commission’s efforts was in October, when co-chair Leader Greg Harris told WTTW he planned to release the recommendations before the legislature reconvened in January. That never happened.”

The groups are worried about the bill, saying that it is deeply flawed and presented “through an opaque process” that left no room for feedback.

“The bill touched on some subjects we brought to the Commission last year, but it also omitted key issues like conflicts of interest and oversight of legislators,” the groups said. “Moreover, it contained provisions, such as the preemption of home rule, that would have dramatic implications for localities, businesses, advocates, and other stakeholders. Yet the bill dropped with no time for meaningful consideration of those serious concerns.”

The groups noted that they’re aware that this is how a lot of legislation gets pushed through in the state, but that the public had been promised that this time it would be different and that wasn’t the case.

“However well-intentioned, measures presented through this rushed process do little to restore trust in government, which is the impetus for ethics reform in the first place,” the group said.

The organizations want the 102nd General Assembly to be different.

“As the 102nd General Assembly convenes, our organizations urge members to work on comprehensive ethics reform through an open, deliberative process that includes key stakeholders and advocates, a process which will produce a far better result for the people of Illinois,” they said. “Let’s get to work.”