Illinois Lt. Governor calls for new ethics standards

Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon called for lawmakers to pass stronger   ethics laws this past week, and issued a press release from her office.  She says in the release “The economic disclosures currently required by law are weak, reveal very little about any potential conflicts of interest and are practically meaningless to the people we serve.”

To get the ball rolling on reform, Lt. Governor Simon instituted new disclosure requirements for her office. The new policies require financial disclosure of high ranking staff in “plain language and greater detail” as opposed to the current “statements of economic interest” required for constitutional officers and senior staff, which do not meet the same criteria.

Network partner Illinois Campaign for Political Reform is quoted in the release. ICPR executive director Cindi Canary said “Lt. Governor Simon is reforming the system from within, and we hope her transparency is contagious. She is setting a new standard of accountability and ethical leadership in state government.”

Read the full press release at the Illinois Government News Network