Taxpayer Freedom Caucus Pushes Package of Reform Bills

The newly formed Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus is calling for changes the caucus says would address "the insider dealing and influence peddling that has become the hallmark of Illinois politics" and is specifically urging action on a package of bills the Caucus says has "real teeth to address the systemic corruption problems in Springfield."

“We are looking at a crisis of trust in Illinois government and Governor JB Pritzker needs to call all of us back into a special session in order to address this issue. Speaker Michael Madigan should step down now, but that does not solve the problem we are facing here in Illinois. We need to enact a series of laws that will reign in the elected officials and bureaucrats who are compromising all of us through their unethical behavior,” said State Rep. John Cabello, (R-Machesney Park) chairman of the Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus.

“Yes, It is time for Speaker Madigan to resign,” State Rep. Blaine Wilhour, (R-Beecher City) secretary of the Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus said. “But that is not enough. We must put serious safeguards in place that will never again allow corrupt politicians, lobbyists and bureaucrats the unchecked power to cheat the system at taxpayers’ expense.  The Public Servant Trust and Accountability Act contains some of the strongest anti-corruption and pro-transparency legislation in the country and will put us on the path to restoring trust and credibility with the people of Illinois.”

One reform the Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus is advocating for is legislation (HB 4809) that would ban legislators from lobbying Illinois government for three years after they have left office.

“This is a simple reform that should have bipartisan support,” said Joe Sosnowski, (R-Rockford) vice chairman of the Illinois Taxpayer Freedom Caucus. “Right now, legislators are able to leave the General Assembly one day and become lobbyists the next. There are 33 states with revolving door laws. Illinois needs to be the next state to join that group.”

The Public Servant Trust and Accountability Act also include the following legislation:

• HB4810: Creates an independent and aggressive Legislative Inspector General’s Office.
• HB4811: Modifies the law so that no member of the General Assembly may engage in lobbying in the General Assembly or unit of local government. Defines lobbyistsand bans them from the General Assembly.
• HB4812: Forces legislators to choose between public service and personal profit by strengthening the conflict of interest laws and demanding recusals.
• HB5370: Creates one of the strongest, most detailed, and most transparent economic disclosures in the country.
• HB4808:Provides accountability for agencies that ignore FOIA requests. By creating a form of punishment ($7,500 out of their budgets), these agencies should be much more transparent and accountable to the people they represent.

“For far too long, the leaders of our state have done nothing but talk about ethics reforms. Our Taxpayer Freedom Caucus has a specific proposal on the table to begin to address the ethics issues before us in our state government. Speaker Madigan should do the right thing and resign and Governor Pritzker needs to bring together the legislature and help restore what little trust is left in our government,” Cabello said.

The Taxpayer Freedom Caucus is a group of 15 Illinois House Republicans that advocates for structural reforms they say "will lower our tax burden, properly fund core services and put Illinois on a sustainable path for the future."