State Representative Joe Sosnowski, R-Rockford, announced his intention today to co-sponsor new legislation being filed by State Representative Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, to create a State Ethics Task Force to tighten ethics rules within Illinois government and set a higher standard.
“Illinois’ public officials have to work hard to begin earning back the public’s trust,” Sosnowski said. “We’ve seen the headlines of the recent FBI raids of the homes of legislators, lobbyists, and offices within the State Capitol. The cost of corruption is too high for Illinoisans to ignore.”
Within the past year, questionable activities by those within state government raise concerns that Illinois’ ethics rules are not strict enough. Examples include:
- A State Senator indicted on embezzlement charges
- An ongoing federal probe into another member of the State Senate
- A federal investigation into the campaign finance activities of a former state legislator and current Illinois Auditor General
- Secretary of State investigation into a State Senator for economic conflicts of interest
- Based on FBI actions, questions surrounding local municipalities and various industries, including energy, gaming, and transportation sectors
“We need a State Ethics Task Force to identify areas of concern, study best practices for ethics and transparency implemented by other states, and to recommend specific solutions we can enact early next year to ensure Illinois has among the toughest ethics laws in the nation,” Sosnowski added.
The Fall Veto Session of the Illinois House of Representatives is scheduled to begin next Monday, October 28.