“Ethics reform” from the Illinois General Assembly this past session included what’s been often reported as a six-month ban on revolving door lobbying. That’s when a state lawmaker leaves to become a lobbyist. Six months isn’t long enough but ’s a start, it’s being said.
Gov. JB Pritzker sounded the same note. “I wanted more out of that provision,” Pritzker said. “I wanted it to be a longer…period of time for the revolving door. But it’s progress that we have even a six month period.”
The truth is, however, that it’s not even that. Let’s give credit where due – to Rich Miller at Capital Fax — for showing succinctly why it’s a sham. He wrote:
After checking around and reading this passage over and over, it’s clear that Illinois did much less than the bare minimum. Here’s the language…
Beginning the second Wednesday in January of 2023, no former member shall engage in activities at the State level that require registration under the Lobbyist Registration Act in a General Assembly of which he or she was a member until 6 months after leaving office.
I highlighted the controlling section.
* There are three clear implications:
1) Legislators who resign before the second Wednesday in January of 2023 can begin lobbying right away;
2) Legislators who resign on or after the second Wednesday in January of 2023 must wait six months before they can begin lobbying the same General Assembly of which they were a member. So, if they resign 2 months into the new GA, they have to wait until the GA is 8 months old before they can lobby. But if they resign 22 months into the GA, they only have to wait to lobby for two months, when a new GA is sworn into office;
3) Legislators who serve out their complete terms, or Senators who complete two full years of a four-year term, don’t have to wait to lobby because they are then no longer members of the same General Assembly.
Illinoisans should feel insulted that their elected officials figure the public is too stupid to see through this.
-Mark Glennon
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
Mark, sadly, if intelligence resembles a normal distribution, most of our residents are actually too ignorant to understand. I can only imagine the Founding Father’s would be disappointed in what we did with that for which they so viciously fought.
What we need is fair naming reform in this state, (constitutionality would also be a plus)
When a raise everyone’s tax is named “fair tax”, ethics reform bill could just be yearly bonuses for people who aren’t under indictment.
You also have to wonder which legislators already have a retirement plan in place which will account for the January 2023 date. If you know Springfield you know there isn’t much that happens there that is pure coincidence or random.
And it is sad to say, but ‘Yes’, Illinoisans are too stupid to follow this. I’ll bet there isn’t five percent of the population that even knows who their Rep or Senator is. And fewer than that even know there are lobbying registration requirements.
I AM SURE YOU ARE RIGHT ABOUT THE 5 PER CENT…….BUT ALL THESE POLITICIANS DO IS LIE ANYWAY..THEY SAY THEY WILL FIGHT FOR YOU AND WHEN SOMEONE FLASHES MONEY THESE PEOPLE JUST FOLD…….ONLY WORRIED ABOUT THEMSELVES NOT THE FACT WE ELECTED THEM! PURE GREED
yep,that pretty much says it all
Chicago Sun-Times
by Mark Brown
“Madigan is gone, but Illinois lawmakers are still reluctant to embrace ethics reforms.
Sure, they passed an ethics bill.
But it doesn’t go anywhere near far enough.”
June 4, 2021
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2021/6/4/22518918/michael-madigan-illinois-legislature-ethics-reform-disclosure-lobbyists-democrats
THEY HAVE NO ETHICS……CAUSE THEY ALL PLAY THE SAME GAME…….GREED