Tom Cullerton works to eliminate red tape for Illinois' businesses

VILLA PARK- Illinois now has a streamlined process to improve the way state government entities purchase goods and services, thanks to Villa Park Democrat Tom Cullerton.

Cullerton's bipartisan initiative, Senate Bill 8, is a reform aimed at taxpayer savings that was signed into law today.

"Eliminating red tape and streamlining the purchasing process will make it easier for local businesses to bid on state contracts," Cullerton said. "Our local businesses are the heart of our economy. It's our duty to make this process easier and more transparent to help encourage economic development in our communities."

This new law expands the ability of state universities to purchase needed products and services without having to navigate through costly and time-consuming red tape. Illinois would be allowed to enter into joint purchasing agreements with other governmental units, and vendors would be given more flexibility when registering or submitting a bid.

"This new bipartisan law will speed up the process and save valuable taxpayer dollars, all while helping our local businesses grow and prosper," Cullerton said.

This reform was initiated due to concerns that procurement rules can be difficult for vendors, state agencies and universities to navigate.

Cullerton has also been working to pass a series of structural reforms. They include a government consolidation plan, term limits for legislative leaders, workers compensation reform and changes to the school funding formula.

Another bill Cullerton is urging the governor to sign is Senate Bill 3, a proven bipartisan government consolidation model to spread DuPage County's success throughout the state.

Cullerton worked with DuPage County Chairman Dan Cronin to eliminate duplicative units of government and simplify the process that allows government entities to consolidate. The DuPage County model is expected to save taxpayers $100 million, so Cullerton has worked to make the model available to other counties throughout Illinois.

Illinois has more than 7,000 units of government that are often duplicative and outdated, so Cullerton envisions large savings to local taxpayers across the state. Senate Bill 3 would enable Illinois to consolidate more units of government than any other state in the nation.

"This one small step will improve government services and lower property taxes without making a sacrifice in services received," Cullerton said. "Every day Governor Rauner puts off signing this reform is a lost opportunity to guarantee government is evolving with the needs of the people. The time to act is now."