Transparency Comes to Illinois!
On Tuesday, August 11, Governor Pat Quinn signed spending transparency legislation—requiring a public, accessible website listing all state expenditures for taxpayers to see—into law.
The bill, called the Illinois Accountability Portal (HB35), passed both the House and Senate unanimously on June 12, 2009 and went to the Governor’s desk for his signature. Sponsored by Representative Mike Tryon, the legislation calls for a website providing a complete, itemized and clear description of all the state’s expenditures including, but not limited to, all contracts, vendors, and grants. In addition, all expenditures will have a detailed account of the payment’s purpose and who authorized the payment. The bill takes effect on January 1, 2010.
“For too long, Illinois government has operated in the dark. Pay-to-play politics, wasteful spending, increasing budget deficits, and a lack of accountability have ruled the day,” said Kate Campaigne Piercy, Director of Government Reform for the Illinois Policy Institute. “Now, the public, media, and legislators will have government spending details at their fingertips in one online database.”
The Illinois Policy Institute congratulates Rep. Mike Tryon and Gov. Quinn for passing this essential legislation. The Institute also extends thanks to all the people who have worked hard on this bill and other state transparency projects over the past two years, including its volunteer Liberty Leaders, the Illinois chapter of Americans for Prosperity, and all other associations and individuals who helped bring spending sunshine to Illinois.
“Implementing transparency is the first step to making Illinois government more cost-efficient, accountable, and aware of its spending decisions,” continued Piercy, “and educating both the public and legislators about how government spends tax dollars will make it easier to expose corruption and pay-to-play politics—and, ultimately to help clean up Illinois.”
To learn more about government transparency visit www.openillinois.org or www.illinoispolicyinstitute.org.
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