Cavaletto Focuses on Ethics Reform

May 29, 2009 on 7:32 am | In News Releases | No Comments

5/15/2009

Springfield, IL….A special “open caucus” meeting of House Republican legislators focused on the Illinois Reform Commission’s 100-day report on cleaning up state government. The special session was open to both Republican and Democrat members of the Illinois House and Senate as well as the media and general public.

Representative John Cavaletto (R – Salem) feels the meeting was productive, but says more political progress needs to be made before real reform can happen. “I was happy to see some of my democrat colleagues in attendance today,” Cavaletto said. “There was one notable absence though.” Cavaletto was referring to House Speaker Michael Madigan who declined to attend the meeting. “Unfortunately without support from the speaker, these reform proposals are dead in the water, and that is really a shame.”

Illinois Reform Commission Chairman Patrick Collins, a former assistant U.S. attorney, talked at length about the commission’s recommendations to clean up government. Topics covered in his presentation included matters of campaign finance reform, legislative map redistricting, and the indictment and impeachment of former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

“I commend Chairman Collins for appearing before our caucus and answering our questions on reform,” Cavaletto said. “Illinois government has been mired in the muck of corruption, secrets, and lies for too long. We have one Governor in prison and another one may be on his way there. We have to recognize that ‘enough is enough’ and the time for real, meaningful reform in the way we do business in Springfield has come.”

Cavaletto is urging constituents to read the Illinois Reform Commission’s 100-day report online at reformillinoisnow.org. “Folks should really read the entire Commission Report so they can get a clearer picture on these proposals,” Cavaletto said. “If we are going to make changes in Illinois government, the people will need to become educated on these issues and hold elected officials accountable.”