In a scathing, bipartisan slap at Gov. Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois Legislature today unanimously sent him a bill to outlaw a controversial method of fundraising that has brought him millions of campaign dollars, and all but dared him to veto it.
``We need to send him a very strong message . . . that we’re taking the government back,’’ said state Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, before the House unanimously voted to prohibit campaign contributions from state contractors to the elected officials who hold their contracts. ``We have to end the cycle of corruption. We have to end government-by-cronyism.’’
The bill would prohibit entities holding more than $50,000 in state contracts from giving political donations to the elected officials who sign their contracts. It would go into effect Jan. 1.
The Senate had earlier unanimously passed the bill, meaning it now goes to Blagojevich.
The Democratic governor has previously hinted he might veto the bill on grounds that its reforms don’t go far enough. His critics say that’s an excuse to preserve a form of campaign fundraising that he has employed more successfully than most. Blagojevich’s record-setting fundraising has come largely through millions of dollars in contributions from hundreds of state contractors whose contracts were awarded or maintained by his administration.
It is amazing that Blagojevich has almost stopped trying not to seem corrupt anymore. No one believes him and he knows it.
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