Quinn: 'The best we can do at this time'

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois' first step toward limiting campaign money was marred by political controversy and betrayal as Gov. Pat Quinn split from his hand-picked ethics champion Thursday and instead backed fellow Democrats' campaign finance reform plan even as his band of reformers said it was riddled with loopholes.

Republicans and reform groups said the limits - $5,000 a year on individuals and $10,000 on corporations and political groups - are too low and a $90,000 limit on transfers among political committees does little to wipe away the influence of money and could well instill legislative leaders with even more power.

"This is a cynical ploy to convince the people of this state that real change has come," said state Sen. Matt Murphy, a Palatine Republican. "Rest assured it has not."

The proposal advanced 36-22, mostly along party lines, with one member - Hinsdale Republican Kirk Dillard - voting present. It now goes to the House for final consideration.

It was one of several reform measures to advance Thursday. A House committee approved a constitutional amendment allowing recall, and the state Senate sent changes to the Freedom of Information Act on to the governor's desk.

But it was the fundraising restrictions that prompted contentious debate.

"It's a scam," state Sen. Dan Cronin, an Elmhurst Republican, said of the Democratic-led proposal as the reform battle played out in the Senate.

Democrats fired back at Republican critics, accusing them of hypocrisy and inaction on ethics until they thought they could score political points.

"When Democrats had a bad actor in the governor's office, we took care of it. I'd ask you all what you did?" said state Sen. Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat who sponsored the limits on campaign money.

Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich was impeached and removed by the Democratic-controlled General Assembly earlier this year, albeit with Republicans' backing. He's now awaiting federal trial on corruption charges. Republican Gov. George Ryan finished his term in office and then was indicted, convicted and sentenced to federal prison.

Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, pondered whether Republicans' opposition had more to do with keeping the gobs of cash their campaigns received - cash that would now be limited.

After they'd spoken against the proposals, Cullerton singled out state Sen. Dan Duffy, a Lake Barrington Republican, and Murphy for the hundreds of thousands of dollars they received from Republican leaders to help their campaigns.

"Now it's going to go down to $90,000," Cullerton said "That's real change, change you can believe in."

Unmentioned was that Democrats also benefit from similar transfers.

However, Cullerton did say his Senate Democrats would go ahead and voluntarily abide by the new restrictions in the upcoming election cycle rather than wait until 2011 as spelled out in the proposal. He challenged Republicans to do the same.

But it was Quinn's decision to side with lawmakers on the reform topic that caught many off guard. The Chicago Democrat who rose to become governor upon Blagojevich's ouster praised the proposal as both "landmark" and doable.

"I think it's the best we can do at this time," he said in explaining why he was supporting the legislation while his reform commission was opposing it.

That commission - led by former federal prosecutor Pat Collins - didn't relent from its call that the sweeping proposals in its nearly 90-page report be enacted. For instance, that plan called for Illinois to adopt the more restrictive federal limits that are roughly half of what the Senate approved.

Collins said his reform group stands by its proposal and said Illinois should use this unique opportunity to create a system that's the model for the nation, not settle for what's politically feasible.

"It's a good start," Collins said, "but it could be better."

He said the limits are on a calendar year rather than campaign year so in a four-year term the limit on individuals is really $20,000 and $40,000 on corporations and political organizations.

Another former federal prosecutor, Anton Valukas, pointed out that there are no limits on valuable in-kind contributions - such as offering campaign workers to a candidate or use of a banquet hall for a fundraiser - and the proposal does nothing to identify so-called bundlers, people who collect numerous contributions from others on behalf of a candidate or officeholder.

• Daily Herald news services and staff writers Dan Carden and Nicole Milstead contributed to this report.