Open Illinois.org

In what might be slightly overlooked from last week’s legislative session because of the tax hike bill, the House passed a campaign reform bill 64-46 largely along party lines.  The bill, backed by Gov. Quinn and sponsored by House Speaker Michael Madigan, might seem like a win for good government advocates, but in fact those very same people are decrying it as nothing more than a sham.

Cynthia Canary, executive director of Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said of the bill, “He [Quinn] has called this ‘historic’ campaign finance reform. It’s historic, all right, kind of like the sinking of the Titanic, you know? It’s bad history.” House Minority Leader Tom Cross called the bill “an illusion of change.”

The bill limits campaign contributions from individuals to $5,000, corporations and labor unions to $10,000, and allows legislative leaders to transfer up to $90,000 a year to House and Senate candidates.  Quinn’s own Illinois Reform Commission recommended no more than $2,400 from individuals, and $5,000 from corporations and labor unions.  They also called for a cap of $30,000 on political committee contributions.
Representative Harry Osterman gave the standard excuse of the night for supporting the weak reform bill: “I look at tonight as a step in the right direction.”  Perhaps it is, but it’s all too obvious that Illinois needs far more than this to begin to fix itself.

Are lawmakers scared of losing some of their own power?  Probably, but it does show how “sincere” lawmakers are about reform and transparency.