Time for change in 58th House District

Last year, under pressure from citizens demanding meaningful reform to end pay to play and clean up Illinois, Springfield passed a long overdue bill to reform our campaign finance laws. They proclaimed their work finished and headed home, awash in self-satisfaction. There was just one problem: Everyone except entrenched insiders could see the bill didn't go far enough. Speaker Madigan's handcrafted "reform" failed to impose any limits on donations from political parties and leaders. Perhaps another episode of absurd political shenanigans shouldn't surprise Illinoisans any longer. Should we really have expected that party bosses would sacrifice their own clout for the good of Illinois? But the halfhearted effort fell far short of any reasonable standard of success. As nonpartisan watchdogs and editorial boards statewide slammed the General Assembly's half-measures, most Republicans and some brave Democrats lent their support to bills designed to close the massive loophole. To her credit, Rep. Karen May submitted HB6200 as chief sponsor this Feb. 11. She received praise from the League of Women Voters and trumpeted her work in her e-mail newsletter. After two months, however, Democrats had HB6200 stalled in committee. Republicans filed a petition that would have fast-tracked it, but Democrats marshaled a party-line vote on April 15 and finally killed the reform. Even Rep. May lined up behind party bosses and, laughably, voted against her own bill! Perhaps her ten long years in Springfield have turned May's priorities upside down, but voters in the 58th District are fortunate to have an impressive alternative this November. May's opponent, businesswoman, former teacher and my friend Lauren Turelli would be a state representative we can trust to take her constituents' best interests to heart, not sell them out for Speaker Madigan's. Lauren's website is turelli4tomorrow.com.

Ann Trombino

Lake Forest