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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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