Governor, sign pay-to-play bill

In interviews after the legislature gave final approval to a bill banning pay-to-play in state contracting, Gov. Blagojevich and his spokespeople have been doing all they can to muddy up the issue.

The pay-to-play bill passed without a single no vote; it has 118 sponsors in the House and 42 in the Senate.

The governor and his people say they're looking forward to adding additional provisions, that they are disappointed the legislature didn't embrace larger reforms, that they are going to make the bill bigger and better.

But who is he kidding?

The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and others in the reform community are very open to broader reforms.

If the governor wants to engage on these issues, we're eager to engage with him.

But first he needs to get serious, stop the name-calling, and sign the pay-to-play bill.

If Gov. Blagojevich respects the deliberative process, he will sign HB 824 as it is and join with us in working toward other reform bills.

Cynthia Canary

Director

Illinois Campaign for Political Reform

Chicago