South West Illinois News

It may be hard to imagine an Illinois without political corruption, but State Rep. David Friess (R-Red Bud) believes it is possible.

“Imagine Illinois with a clean, honest and transparent government,” he said at a recent news conference on a legislative initiative by the Republicans called Reimagine Illinois.

In this plan, legislators would have to submit conflict of interests and economic disclosure statements.

“Imagine an Illinois that adopted a stronger model of disclosure, one that will expose conflict of interest and end corruption,” he said.

Allowing legislators to double as government consultants and lobbyists has created dysfunction, the legislator said.

“Imagine an Illinois that where there is an outright ban on lobbying for General Assembly members, further preventing conflicts of interest in cleaning up government,” he said.

The recent resignation of longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan gives Illinois a chance for a new start, Friess said.

“We just saw decades of a one-man rule finally come to an end in Springfield,” he said. “One man held the power to decide what bills would be called to a vote. Imagine an Illinois that allowed all legislators to receive an up or down vote on their bills so that lawmakers can truly work for the benefit of their constituents.”

Illinois citizens “are fed up with state government and need a way to take back control,” the legislator said.

“Imagine an Illinois that gives citizens the means to introduce amendments to the Constitution, empowering them to act and have a role in the government,” Friess said. “Illinois is clearly a state with opportunity if only we dare to reach for it. We must empower people to have a role in their government. We can do this if we reimagine Illinois.”

Also in the news conference, State Rep. Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) called for responsible fiscal leadership, “something that [the] state of Illinois has been lacking for many years.”

It’s also a big component of the Reimagine Illinois initiative.

“Imagine a state of Illinois where leaders take their fiscal responsibility seriously, watching every penny instead of raising taxes, increasing spending and piling up debt, year after year,” she said. “Imagine if Illinois actually adopted responsible fiscal leadership that requires all budgets to be balanced.”

Years of unbalanced budgets and wasteful spending have left Illinois with “the worst budget in the nation,” she said.