Franco A. Coladipietro - Illinois State Representative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 29, 2009

Coladipietro Rejects “Ethics Light” Legislation
 

SPRINGFIELD – Today, State Representative Franco Coladipietro (R-Bloomingdale) rejects a campaign finance bill which does little to limit the influence of political parties and power brokers.

Despite Rep. Coladipietro and his House Republican colleagues’ efforts to require meaningful campaign contribution caps, House Democrats push through a watered-down campaign finance bill that is short on reforms.

Senate Bill 1466, sponsored by Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan, includes campaign contribution caps for individuals, corporations, unions and political action committees. However, the bill does not limit contributions from a political party or caucus PAC to a candidate. So parties and legislative leaders will remain free to give unlimited campaign cash to their preferred candidates.

“Eighty percent of this legislation is spot-on and does offer the beginning of campaign finance reform. However, this legislation does not go far enough and actually causes some unintentional consequences, including concentrating and giving the legislative leaders more power,” said Rep. Coladipietro. “This state is ripe for campaign finance reform and it would be an utter failure on our part if we didn’t get this legislation correct.”

While SB 1466 limits party/caucus contributions to candidates during a primary election, it allows for unlimited contributions during a general election. In reality, political parties spend very little on primary campaigns. During general elections, parties and legislative leaders spend millions of dollars on campaigns that are often brutally negative in tone.

House Republicans filed an amendment to SB 1466 to make the limits on party/caucus contributions apply not only for the primary election, but also for the general election. Democrats bottled up the Republican proposal in the House Rules Committee.

“If Speaker Madigan and the Democrats were serious about campaign finance reform and not just maintaining the status quo, they should have at least allowed for a straight up and down vote on the amendment. Instead, they allowed this amendment and true reform to die,” said Rep. Coladipietro.
 

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