SPRINGFIELD – To increase transparency at all levels of government and ensure elected officials are held accountable for their actions, State Senator Laura Murphy (D-Des Plaines) championed a measure to overhaul ethics laws in Illinois.

“Illinoisans deserve to be able to trust their government again,” Murphy said. “These long-overdue changes can help restore transparency and accountability to our state government, and begin to build back the public’s confidence.”

The legislative package includes numerous provisions to strengthen ethics laws surrounding economic interest disclosure, lobbying, campaign finance and compensation, including:

1. Prohibiting elected officials from lobbying other units of government for entities that lobby them;
2. Creating a statewide lobbyist database that requires those lobbying state, county, municipal or township governments to be registered and disclosed;
3. Barring elected officials in the General Assembly and officers in the executive branch from lobbying for firms registered to lobby the legislative or executive branches;
4. Forbidding local elected officials from lobbying for firms registered to lobby their own unit of government;
5. Establishing a six-month cooling-off period for executive branch elected officials and legislators becoming lobbyists;
6. Closing the Consultant Loophole by requiring individuals who may not directly communicate with officials and staff, but who help develop strategies to influence executive or legislative officials or staff to register with the database;
7. Banning in-person or virtual fundraisers anywhere in the state on a session day or the day before a legislative session day;
8. Prohibiting salaried appointees who are subject to the advice and consent of the Senate from serving as officers for political committees;
9. Authorizing the Executive and Legislative Inspectors General to initiate investigations independently, without the advance approval of their respective ethics commissions;
10. Enacting a clearer, more streamlined Statement of Economic Interest disclosure system; and
11. Pro-rating the salaries of General Assembly members who leave office prior to the end of their term.

“Government officials should serve the people—not their own financial interests,” Murphy said. “This legislation is a good first step, but I will continue pushing for reform to bring us closer to the ideals Illinois was founded on.”

Senate Bill 539 passed the Senate with unanimous support and now awaits the governor’s signature to become law.

SPRINGFIELD – A longstanding champion of ethics reform in Illinois, State Senator Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake) helped pass a measure to hold elected officials, lobbyists and insiders to the highest standards.

“Ethics needs to be taken seriously and members of the General Assembly need to be held accountable,” Bush said. “This measure is about adopting ethics changes that will address the systemic culture within Illinois government.”

Senate Bill 539 makes a number of changes to current ethics laws, including prohibiting elected officials from lobbying other units of government for entities that lobby them, instituting a revolving door for executive branch elected officials and legislators becoming lobbyists and pro-rating salaries of General Assembly members who leave office prior to the end of their term, among other items.

SPRINGFIELD – To expand access to health care coverage, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed a Medicaid reform package in the Illinois Senate on Monday that adds coverage for a variety of services and provides more care to older Illinoisans.

“Expanding Medicaid coverage will result in better health outcomes for the most vulnerable,” Gillespie said. “This measure adds essential care options to the Medicaid program and will ensure that everyone has access to quality care.”

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Cristina Castro (D- Elgin), who has been a fierce advocate for government reform and established a joint commission on ethics in 2019, issued the following statement on the Senate Bill 539, a comprehensive ethics package that is on its way to the governor’s desk:

“It’s no secret that Illinois has needed reform for some time. Addressing the legislator-to-lobbyist pipeline was a top priority, and I believe this legislation will play a big part in closing the loopholes that have allowed elected officials to hold office one day and lobby the next.

SPRINGFIELD – As an ex-college player and advocate for student-athletes, State Senator Napoleon Harris, III (D-Harvey) is nearing victory in his fight to allow Illinois student-athletes to receive compensation from their use names, images, or likenesses who attend Illinois colleges and universities.  

"These student athletes shed their blood, sweat, and tears to play college sports,” Harris said. "Their schools' benefit off their talent by selling clothing, rights to use their images in video games and more. The kids deserve to get financial benefit, too especially at powerhouse universities who generate millions of dollars." 

SPRINGFIELD – To end the culture of corruption and increase transparency in government, State Senator Ann Gillespie (D-Arlington Heights) passed a sweeping ethics package in the Illinois Senate today.

“This legislation takes the first steps in addressing some of the most egregious scandals in our state’s history,” Gillespie said. “It offers bipartisan solutions to reestablish public trust in our institutions and is the result of several conversations in our legislative working group on ethics.”

The legislation would make several ethics reforms including prohibiting elected officials from lobbying other units of government, establishing a six-month revolving door ban, prohibiting all political fundraisers during legislative session, prohibiting salaried appointees from serving as an officer for a political committee and pro-rating the salaries of General Assembly members who leave office prior to the end of their term.

SPRINGFIELD – Businesses will be prohibited from burning toxic synthetic chemicals in Illinois thanks to a measure sponsored by State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) that passed the General Assembly Friday.

“As we learn more about PFAS, it’s becoming clear that we need to reduce the risk they pose to people and the environment,” Belt said. “Our communities in the Metro East are at immediate risk of PFAS exposure. We must act now to eliminate these potentially harmful chemicals from the air we breathe.”

House Bill 3190 prohibits the disposal by incineration of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, otherwise known as PFAS. PFAS are a group of approximately 5,000 human-made chemicals that are manufactured for their oil- and water-resistant properties.

SPRINGFIELD – A measure to compel pet stores to get their animals from animal shelters or animal control facilities passed the Senate Monday, co-sponsored by Senator Linda Holmes (D-Aurora), in an effort to discourage the sale of pets from unscrupulous breeders and puppy mills and instead provide loving homes to animals who need them most.

“I’m proud to join in House Bill 1711 to push legislation on a pet store business model that has been growing across the U.S.,” Holmes said. “Puppy mills are a major source of animals for many pet stores, but their breeding practices result in sick and sometimes terminally ill animals, which can result in heartache for families.”