Campaign funding limits has limits

In the wake of years of escalating political corruption scandals, the governor's reform commission delved into campaign funding laws Thursday against seemingly long odds that legislative leaders will vote to restrain their own war chests.

"We are definitely going to have to provide some kind of reform," state Sen. Michael Noland, an Elgin Democrat, told the commission. "I'm as frustrated as everyone else."

Noland has penned legislation aimed at capping donations to campaigns in an attempt to limit the influence of big donors at the state Capitol and make corruption less tempting for politicians.

Several such measures have been submitted this year as lawmakers scramble to get ahead of the ongoing scandals involving ousted Gov. Rod Blagojevich and other Illinois politicians.

But none of them appear to have the clout needed to become law.

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno of Lemont is the only legislative leader to endorse campaign donation limits in Illinois - one of only four states in the nation to have not yet implemented such post-Watergate era reforms.

"The time for contribution limits has come in Illinois," she said in a letter to the commission read at Thursday's meeting in Chicago.

As far as campaign finance laws go, Illinois scores high when it comes to disclosure requirements. Most politicians must file reports on the Internet twice a year and before elections listing who gave what and when.

A new law on the books also bans statewide officeholders, like the governor, from taking cash from state contractors.

Influential lawmakers have so far this year pointed to more disclosure laws and contracting changes as perhaps the answer to the state's ethical problems.

Meanwhile, Senate President John Cullerton and House Speaker Michael Madigan, both Chicago Democrats, have set up a completely separate reform committee to propose ethics measures from the Illinois Reform Commission, which Gov. Pat Quinn appointed in the wake of Blagojevich's arrest.

On Thursday, House Republican Leader Tom Cross of Oswego told the Quinn-appointed commission that he sees big problems with campaign finance limits.

"You've got to recognize people find - ways around the limit," Cross said. "Recognize there are creative folks out there."

The chief criticisms of contribution limits are that some of the well-intentioned regulations have given more power to special interest groups, political parties and wealthy politicians.

Yet it is clear the commission is likely to make recommendations for substantial changes to the state's political system, perhaps even its campaign finance laws. In meetings across the state, commission members are also eyeing term limits, contracting regulations and the public financing of campaigns, among other ethics measures.

A final report will be released in May.

Commission chair Patrick Collins, the former federal prosecutor who put Gov. George Ryan in prison for corruption, said Thursday he expected to make bold recommendations. "I think it is fair to say we need to go beyond" improving disclosure requirements, he told the Daily Herald.

But it is equally clear campaign finance limit supporters and Collins are concerned the commission's recommendations won't see the light of day in the General Assembly. Collins repeatedly asked politicians before the commission Thursday to assure him their recommendations would get a vote in the Senate or House.

"I have a heightened concern because of our state's history," Collins said later.