In this issue:
- Another chance for ethics reform
- Three years of the SAFE-T Act
- Next week is Farm Safety Week
- Illinois headlines
Another chance for ethics reform
Legislative Inspector General (LIG) Michael McCuskey announced his resignation last week, creating an opening in the position of chief ethics watchdog for the General Assembly. McCuskey, a retired federal judge, was appointed to the LIG role in 2022. His resignation is effective at the end of this month. The search is now underway for his replacement.
The Legislative Ethics Commission, a bipartisan board made up of an equal number of Republicans and Democrats from the Senate and the House of Representatives, chose former federal prosecutor David E. Risley as an interim LIG until the post can be filled on a permanent basis.
Once again, Illinois legislators are presented with an opportunity for ethics reform at the Capitol. A common complaint about the office of the LIG is that it is not empowered with the tools to be truly effective at cleaning up corruption. House Republicans have filed legislation to strengthen the powers of the office and increase its jurisdiction and authority in investigating corruption. These bills have been blocked from ever seeing the light of day, but we are now presented with an opportunity to bring them forward and see them debated and voted upon.
House Bill 1382 would allow the LIG to use subpoena power when conducting investigations into public corruption. Under the existing law, the General Assembly has to approve any request by the LIG to issue a subpoena, which one of my colleagues likened to the fox guarding the henhouse. Another reform bill is House Bill 1554 to prohibit public officials from using their campaign funds to pay for criminal defense.
These are just some of the ethics reform bills which need to be brought forward in the upcoming fall session of the General Assembly.
Three years of the SAFE-T Act
Today marks the third anniversary of the implementation of the controversial SAFE-T Act, the criminal justice overhaul which has generated almost weekly headlines about Illinois being less safe.
These stories have ranged from the convicted felon on pre-trial release who literally turned up in Governor Pritzker’s back yard, to the story of another repeat offender who was on pre-trial release when he doused a stranger an a subway train with a flammable liquid and lit her on fire (because the attack happened on a mass transit system he was able to be charged by the federal government with a terrorism offense).
It is clear that this overhaul is not working – it is only making things more dangerous throughout Illinois. House Republicans have filed nearly 40 bills to reform the SAFE-T Act and improve public safety, but they have by and large been ignored. It is long past the time to take public safety seriously and restore common sense to the state’s criminal justice system.
Next week is Farm Safety Week
As we move into the fall harvest season, it is time once again to remind everyone about the importance of safety on the farm. Large equipment, large animals, and hazardous chemicals are just a few of the many dangers that come with daily life on the farm.
To help put the spotlight on safety on the farm, Illinois will be marking Farm Safety Week September 21-25.
The farming profession sees over 500 fatalities nationwide each year. It has a work-related death rate seven times higher than the national average for workers. Safety is something that everyone around the farm must take seriously every single day. We are also encouraging farmers to take care of their own health, including their mental health.
But farm safety doesn’t end with farmers. Farm Safety Week also extends to motorists who might be sharing the road with farmers moving heavy, slow equipment across our highways. Remember to give these vehicles plenty of room and keep in mind that the driver may not be able to see you. Be patient on the roadways when sharing the road with farm equipment.
Let’s make sure everyone makes it home safely at the end of the day!
Our current bill backlog
When a vendor provides the state with goods and services, they submit the bill to the Illinois Comptroller for payment. The Comptroller processes the paperwork and pays the bill when funds are available in the state’s checking account. Currently the total amount of unpaid bills is $2,445,172,913. This figure changes daily. Last year at this time the state had $2.7 billion in bills awaiting payment. This only includes bills submitted to the Comptroller for payment, not unfunded debts like the state’s pension liability, which is well over $100 billion.
Illinois headlines
Attorney General reaches settlement to reduce Nicor Gas request by 63%
All 6 recommendations in new DCFS audit were also made in 2022 – and still aren’t fully met
Illinois sued over digital tax, fee
Illinois 9 work in Ford County begins this month
First energy assistance application period opens October 1st