Springfield… Following the successful passage of the state’s strongest transparency legislation, State Senator Pamela Althoff, State Representative Mike Tryon and the Illinois Chapter of Americans for Prosperity held a press conference to urge Governor Quinn to take immediate action signing House Bill 35 into law. Rep. Tryon also announced his next initiative to further enhance transparency by posting every member of a state board or commission online.
“This year, more than ever, the need for real ethics reform to combat Illinois’ national reputation for political corruption in state government, has received widespread attention. I am so thrilled that the Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal has passed the House and now the Senate with the help of Senator Susan Garrett and Senator Pam Althoff. I am confident Governor Quinn will soon make this reform a reality as he was supportive of House Bill 35 and helped me craft its language,” Rep. Tryon said.
House Bill 35 requires the Department of Central Management Services to create a transparent website which details nearly every financial transaction in state government including state expenditures, state contracts, state tax credits, tax breaks and the salaries of state employees. Rep. Tryon introduced the Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal last year at the request of Americans for Prosperity, a grassroots activist organization leading the charge for transparency in Illinois and throughout the nation.
“Providing the public immediate access to state spending is not only about holding elected officials accountable to taxpayers. The Accountability Portal will also help the state reduce our massive budget deficit by identifying where every dollar is going and eliminating unnecessary state programs,” said Sen. Althoff.
“HB35 is one of the most comprehensive transparency laws in the nation and what I hope is the first of many more reforms to be passed this year in Illinois under the leadership of this new administration,” said Americans for Prosperity State Director Joe Calomino.
A longtime advocate for transparency and open government, Rep. Tryon announced his plans to introduce legislation that would require every member of a state board or commission to be posted on the Accountability Portal and accessible for public scrutiny.
In recent weeks, Speaker of the House Michael Madigan had proposed legislation that would fire every member of a state board or commission who was appointed by former governors’ George Ryan and Rod Blagojevich. His intention was recognized as an effort to “fumigate” state government of political insiders and those who may have been connected to the former scandal-plagued administrations.
“While I believe Speaker Madigan is well-intentioned, his proposal may be a bit wide-reaching and come off more as political revenge. I personally know many state board members who are honest and highly qualified. Posting state board and commission members online will give us a better picture of where corruption and impropriety exists,” Rep. Tryon said.
Rep. Tryon is committed to fighting the culture of pay-to-play politics and abuse of taxpayer dollars and will continue to add on to the Illinois Transparency and Accountability Portal upon its implementation. He believes an online help center may be another tool that will make state government more accessible to taxpayers and reduce the number of Freedom of Information requests processed by the state.
