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Illinois Reform Commission 100-Day Report

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Illinois Reform Commission 100-Day Report Illinois Reform Commission 100-Day Report April 28, 2009 ILLINOIS REFORM COMMISSION Chair Patrick Collins Commissioners Anita Alvarez Pamela Davis Pat Fitzgerald Hanke Gratteau Tasha Green David Hoffman Rev. Dennis Holtschneider Douglas Johnson Kate Maehr Brad McMillan N. Duane Noland Lawrence Oliver Sheila Simon Rev. Scott Willis ILLINOIS REFORM COMMISSION VOLUNTEER STAFF (Services donated by Perkins Coie LLP) Senior Staff Joel R. Levin, General Counsel Jade R. Lambert, Chief of Staff Susan M. Lauer, Co-Director of Legal Research Nadia A. Kiyani, Co-Director of Legal Research Andrea S. Homier, Director of Operations Kathleen A. Stetsko, Director of Public Comment Regina L. Ori, Director of Community Outreach Rosa I. Ravelo, Website Director Matthew H. Wernz, Co-Director of Testimony Jeremy L. Buxbaum, Co-Director of Testimony Head Writers Amanda E. Adrian Jan Feldman Laura Sakulich Jonathan R. Buck Christopher McClellan* Kathleen A. Stetsko Nathan F. Fahrer Jaclyn A. McNally Matthew H. Wernz Brett J. Miller Research and Writing Support Jerry P. Brosnan Jeffrey E. Altshul Nolan Kulbiski Todd Church David L. Anstaett Amy E. Gibson Lum Susan L. Cochard Rhonda L. Barnes Brandy R. McMillion Britnee E. Cole Paul F. Eckstein Marc L. Oberdorff Chad T. Diamond Lissa R. Koop Regina L. Ori Julia C. Gougler Michael J. Kupka Renee M. Schreiber Anne V. Stratman Chad T. Nicholson Michael A. Sink Julie K. Swanson Bintou Sy Jennifer W. Steinhagen Kristie K. Kennedy Commissioner Liaisons Media Relations Administrative Support Jeffrey E. Altshul Lori G. Anger Teresa M. Albertino Alexandra R. Cole Sheryl E. Dineen Stephanie L. Baier Jan Feldman Craig T. Boggs Kristie K. Kennedy Word Processing Barbara Buckner Nadia A. Kiyani Mindy A. Laff Craig E. Courter Jade R. Lambert Lois Ondine Theresa A. Daniel Susan M. Lauer Pamela D. Schulz Susan Dritz Joel R. Levin Ellen R. Stuart Sally M. Manson Teri A. Lindquist Amber J. Norris C. Vincent Maloney Rachel L. Repke Regina L. Ori Timothy K. Robertson Cynthia M. Peterson Nancy Saldinger Mindy W. Sherman Melissa Stigger * Christopher McClellan donated his services independent of Perkins Coie LLP. Table of Contents Page CHAPTER 1: Executive Summary........................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: Campaign Finance ............................................................................. 7 I. Introduction............................................................................................. 7 II. Information and Sources Considered ..................................................... 8 III. Commission Findings............................................................................ 13 IV. Commission Recommendations ............................................................ 15 CHAPTER 3: Procurement..................................................................................... 23 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 23 II. Information and Sources Considered ................................................... 23 III. Commission Findings............................................................................ 26 IV. Commission Recommendations ............................................................ 27 CHAPTER 4: Enforcement ..................................................................................... 35 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 35 II. Information and Sources Considered ................................................... 36 III. Commission Findings............................................................................ 39 IV. Commission Recommendations ............................................................ 39 CHAPTER 5: Government Structure..................................................................... 47 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 47 II. Information and Sources Considered ................................................... 47 III. Commission Findings............................................................................ 53 IV. Commission Recommendations ............................................................ 54 CHAPTER 6: Transparency ................................................................................... 59 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 59 II. Information and Sources Considered ................................................... 59 III. Commission Findings............................................................................ 62 IV. Commission Recommendations ............................................................ 62 CHAPTER 7: Inspiring Better Government.......................................................... 73 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 73 II. Information and Sources Considered ................................................... 74 III. Commission Findings............................................................................ 75 IV. Commission Recommendations ............................................................ 76 i Table of Contents (continued) Page CHAPTER 8: Recommendations For Further Consideration ............................... 85 I. Introduction........................................................................................... 85 II. ReformIllinoisNow.org .......................................................................... 85 III. Areas Identified as Warranting Further Inquiry ................................ 86 CHAPTER 9: Conclusion ........................................................................................ 88 All appendices are available in a separate document. ii CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I. Introduction In January, 2009, while late-night comics were heaping national scorn on Illinois in the wake of the arrest of then-Governor Blagojevich, then-Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn established the Illinois Reform Commission. Our mandate was as straightforward as it was daunting: recommend meaningful ethics reform for the State of Illinois in one hundred days. We recruited accomplished and independent men and women from a diverse variety of backgrounds to form a citizens’ commission. We enthusiastically answered this call to serve, some of us with extensive prior involvement in government, others with virtually none. Although we were mostly strangers before this Commission brought us together, we shared an overarching desire to contribute to solving this unprecedented integrity crisis. We undertook our task as a team with one singular purpose: to devote energy, insight and passion to seize the moment on behalf of the people of Illinois. As we complete our one hundred day journey, we are proposing meaningful reforms — virtually all of which other governmental institutions have implemented — to bring about an end to some of the insidious corruption that has pervaded this State for far too long. Along with these legal and operational reforms, we are issuing a clarion call for a change of attitude in how we view our democracy. Our work over the last one hundred days has been exhausting and troubling, yet also exhilarating. We embraced a torrid pace — traveling the State from Rockford and Chicago in the north to Carbondale in the south, from Peoria and Champaign in the heartland, to the Quad Cities in the west and Kankakee in the east. We held substantive meetings on complex subjects and digested mountains of data. We listened to testimony from experts in their respective fields and heard from thousands of others through our town halls, hearings and website. We discussed, debated, and even argued at times, but we were unanimous in our desire for reform in six core areas. In fact, virtually all of the recommendations contained in this Report enjoyed the full Commission’s support. We have been troubled by learning that, in core areas governing ethics, Illinois’ laws and operations simply do not measure up. For example, forty-six other states have stronger campaign finance regulations in place than Illinois, and forty- six states give their law enforcement agents stronger tools to root out corruption and crime. In addition, no other state resorts to picking a name out of a hat (honest Abe’s, no less) to gerrymander legislative and congressional districts. In the wake of recent scandals less severe than our own, a number of states — Connecticut, New Mexico, Massachusetts and even Louisiana —have taken aggressive action to reform their laws and political culture. What will Illinois’ response to this current crisis of integrity be? Our nation is watching. Despite our concerns about the future, the past one hundred days has been exhilarating. Thoughtful people from across this state have energized us. The vast majority of Illinois voters believe that Illinois must implement ethics reform promptly and comprehensively, and it must be done now. They also recognize the need to do more than reform the laws -- we must also reform our attitudes about government and ultimately ourselves. To comprehensively address reform, we studied six broad categories of issues: transparency, campaign finance, procurement, government structure, enforcement, and inspiring better government. From the start, the Commission determined that a holistic approach was necessary to achieve real reform.
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