South Central Reporter

Another Illinois legislative session is drawing to a close, and many lawmakers are frustrated that the state is no closer to addressing its longstanding ethics issues. 

Several Illinois politicians have earned infamy as a headliner in an ethics scandal. Most recently, former House Speaker Mike Madigan resigned months after allegedly being linked to a federal bribery investigation but hasn't been charged. 

"It seems like every other day around here, we see more Democrats from Chicago being perp-walked, and there's nothing on ethics reform," Rep. Blaine Wilhour (R-Effingham) said in a May 7 press conference. "It's been 577 days since Luis Arroyo was arrested, and still we haven't gained the courage and the commitment to do something so simple as banning legislators from lobbying."

Arroyo was arrested in October of 2019 after evidence surfaced of him allegedly attempting to bribe another senator to change gambling legislation to benefit one of his lobbying clients.

"We’re not doing anything to put anti-corruption safeguards in place," Wilhour said. 

The representative is not the only one frustrated. According to earlier reporting by Galesburg Reporter, state Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Qunicy) feels it is the Democratic machine that won't budge on letting ethics reform gain any momentum. 

"[We’ve done] nothing on making sure that the legislative inspector general has the real power to watch over this general assembly that has clearly shown itself to be susceptible to extreme corruption," Wilhour said. 

Activists have joined politicians in the call for a legislative sweep through current reform policy. In January, Common Clause Illinois released a letter challenging Springfield to make the plunge into ethics legislation.