Quinn signs law barring double dipping on transit boards
Political Editor
mriopell@dailyherald.com
Gov. Pat Quinn Wednesday signed a law barring CTA board members from holding other government work and further clarifying that other transit board members can't, either.
The legislation from state Rep. Jack Franks, a Marengo Democrat, was initially aimed at Quinn's attempt to appoint a South suburban township supervisor to the CTA board, which would have given him a second public salary. The appointee eventually backed down.
Franks says the legislation also further cements the existing RTA and Metra bans on having a second government job. A requirement of being on the Pace board is that the member is a current or former mayor.
"We have to stop this these double-dipping insider protection plans," he said.
The proposal follows legislation from Franks last year also targeted at ethical issues on transit boards that took away members' future pension and health care benefits.
Other ethics proposals, like combining all the transit boards into one, haven't found traction.
The law takes effect immediately.
Republican Kirk Dillard, who starts as chairman of the RTA board next month, voted for the plan in May. Quinn signed the legislation among a list of dozens of bills he made law Wednesday.