Why reforming the state's grant system matters

Recently, a federal jury found a Chicago couple guilty of stealing $3.36 million from state grants intended to help minority communities fight deadly diseases like AIDS and cancer. I want to thank the U.S. attorney's office for its work protecting taxpayers. However, I know many people are probably thinking that this couple, Leon and Karen Dingle, probably shouldn't have received this grant in the first place and that the state should have caught their abuse long before the federal prosecutor. I agree.

That's why I passed a new law that should help keep state grants from falling into the wrong hands in the future.

The Grant Accountability and Transparency Act requires the state of Illinois to adopt much stricter standards for management and oversight of state spending. It also empowers the governor's budget office to make sure that the people, non-profits and businesses that receive these grants obey the rules.

Groups and people with conflicts of interest or criminal histories will be prevented from receiving taxpayer dollars. Those who don't perform will be suspended from getting money in the future.

The state will also offer training so that responsible people who want to work with the state will know and follow the rules.

I understand that Gov.-elect Rauner's budget team is going to be busy, but I hope that he makes grant enforcement a priority. We can't afford any more waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayer money.

State grants for fighting AIDS in minority communities should be spent fighting AIDS, not paying for vacations and condos. And we shouldn't rely on federal prosecutors to catch graft and abuse. We should stop it before it starts.

State Sen. Dan Kotowski

Park Ridge