On Monday, the General Assembly passed SB539, a long-awaited ethics omnibus bill. After endless scandals and indictments, we had hoped for comprehensive reform that would help restore Illinoisans’ confidence in their government. While SB539 takes some steps in the right direction, we…
Read MoreThis week, the Illinois legislature passed a bill with two of Reform for Illinois‘ top priorities: making it easier to vote by mail with a “permanent vote by mail list” and improving voting access for people with disabilities. Reform for Illinois has been advocating for these measures…
Read MoreLast week, Republicans in the Illinois Senate introduced an amendment to SB1350 containing a package of ethics reforms that would make some significant changes to the status quo in Springfield. The new bill is not perfect, but it improves on…
Read MoreAs part of a report on the package of ethics reforms currently under consideration in the General Assembly, Dan Petrella and Jenny Whidden of the Chicago Tribune turned to RFI Executive Director Alisa Kaplan for her take on the proposals. Read…
Read MoreThe 2022 primaries are still a year away and Governor Pritzker has not yet announced his reelection campaign, but he has already infused his political committee with a $35 million self-contribution. Reform for Illinois Executive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke with…
Read MoreExecutive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke with Greg Bishop of The Center Square to discuss ethics reform in the wake of a new report by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago showing that Illinois is the second most corrupt state government…
Read MoreExecutive Director Alisa Kaplan spoke with Greg Bishop of The Center Square to discuss the future of Mike Madigan’s influence over the Democratic Party of Illinois. While he may be gone as a state lawmaker and as the chair of some key…
Read MoreRFI Executive Director spoke with Greg Bishop about the Illinois House’s new rules to allow remote committee meetings. It’s a start, but more rule updates are needed so that citizens can fully participate in the work of their government. Read…
Read MoreWith Mike Madigan out as Speaker of the House and Chris Welch now in the top post, along with a slew of prosecutions of former members of the General Assembly, there is now an opportunity like never before in recent…
Read MoreIlllinois has spent more than $300,000 renting a Springfield convention center so that the House can hold meetings during the pandemic. Rules to allow remote legislating, including remote voting and committee hearings, are on the table, but have not yet…
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