Peoria Standard

Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) says there is next to no ethics oversight for the state government. 

The position of Legislative Inspector General was created to allow for oversight of the government, but it has been vacant since former LIG Carol Pope resigned, citing a lack of power and ability to do what the job required. 

In a statement, Tracy said, “Confirming a candidate before LIG Pope left has always been my top  priority. It is unfortunate that my goal was not shared by some of the Democrat members of the LEC who did what they could to stall and circumvent the selection process. Our Search Committee  interviewed multiple candidates and recommended two qualified candidates, and we should have been able to fill this position in a timely manner. But several Democrat members of the LEC did not commit to seeing the process through, and we find ourselves without a qualified LIG to address legislative ethics complaints.”

Tracy is not alone in her concern. Both constituents and colleagues have voiced a desire for more oversight of the Illinois state government, which has been a hotbed of corruption and ethics concerns for years. 

Senate Bill 3030 was introduced by Tracy early this year and has already passed a few key hurdles. The bill would establish a Legislative Ethics Commission which would have oversight over the Illinois Legislature and review instances of ethics concerns. 

According to Sen. Donald DeWitte (R-West Dundee), the bill 'will provide the next LIG with the tools needed to effectively crack down on the ethics epidemic in state government.'

The bill would require LEC meetings to be open to the public and require that meeting times and locations are publicly posted. It would no longer allow elected officials to serve as members of the LEC, and it would provide the LIG with subpoena power to investigate ethics complaints against members of the Illinois General Assembly. The bill has bipartisan support.