Chicago Tribune Editorial - An ethics test for Emil Jones

Chicago Tribune Editorial - An ethics test for Emil Jones
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published May 14, 2007

It's been a rough few weeks for Emil Jones (D-Chicago), president of the Illinois Senate.

He's had to defend himself against published reports about lucrative state jobs held by his wife and son, and a utility company contract given to his stepson. He shocked and undermined some of his fellow Democrats by pulling a rare parliamentary maneuver to stymie a statewide electric rate freeze.

So fractured has his own caucus become at a critical time this spring session that Jones held a closed-door meeting to try to clear the air with members.

But talk only goes so far in assuaging other people's doubts about ethics.

Today, though, Jones has an opportunity to demonstrate his integrity. He can decide whether to allow an important piece of ethics legislation, currently suspended in limbo, to be considered by the Senate. Already the proposed bill has 21 Senate co-sponsors -- Republican and Democratic, Chicago, suburban and Downstate. If the Senate gets the chance to vote on the measure, it surely will pass. Who could possibly explain a "no" vote to constituents fed up with politics as usual in Springfield?

This so-called pay-to-play bill zipped out of the House, 116-0. The proposed legislation would prohibit any individual or business with more than $25,000 in state contracts from contributing to the officeholder who awarded those contracts. Bidders also would have to disclose how much they had given to the officeholder awarding the contract in the previous two years. The contribution ban would be in effect for two years past the completion of the contract, or for the length of the officeholder's term.

Will these measures end corruption in Illinois? Hardly. But they constitute an important nibble at the excesses.

"The one person who has an interest in bottling this 'pay-to-play' legislation up is the governor, because this would be unilateral disarmament for the governor's fundraising operation," said the chief House sponsor, Rep. John Fritchey (D-Chicago).

Gov. Rod Blagojevich has raked in hefty campaign contributions from vendors that do business with the state. Federal investigators are scrutinizing the practice.

So what's known as House Bill 1 will serve as an important loyalty test: How wedded is Jones to the governor's interests?

Let's hope -- for the sake of good government and of Jones' reputation -- the Senate president sides with millions of Illinois citizens who have their own agenda: Clean up state government.