New Ethics Reform Gains Senate Approval SPRINGFIELD, IL (wsiu) - Gov. Rod Blagojevich scored a victory today (Tuesday) in his quest for tougher ethics, but there's still one chamber to go.
Just one day after the Illinois Senate put sweeping ethics reform into law, another ethics proposal has gained Senate approval. This new measure is based on Gov. Rod Blagojevich's amendatory vetoes that didn't make it into the first ethics law. The Senate voted 50-1, with five senators voting present, to send this measure to the House, where it's expected to be greeted with a chilly reception.
The measure would ban "double-dipping," as the governor calls it, which refers to state lawmakers who are employees of local city or county governments, with various exceptions. It would also limit campaign contributions to all state lawmakers and statewide political parties. One of those parties, the Democratic Party of Illinois, is controlled by Blagojevich rival and House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago).
While many senators agree that this measure needs lots of work, they still want to send a message that more ethics reform is necessary.
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