Rockford Sun

For Republican state House candidate Kathie Hansen, talk of a Democrat-led ethics reform movement in the Illinois capitol has zero credibility. 

“I don’t put any stock in Democrats’ talk of reforms in Springfield,” Hansen told the Rockford Sun. “And I’ll go as far as to say all the sudden talk may just be about them trying to make it appear as if they’re doing something in an election year. This has been going on for a long, long time. Why now is it so important when there was never anything before?”

With longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) embroiled in a widening federal corruption probe involving utility giant ComEd and a pay-for-play scheme, a group of Democratic legislators are now pushing a package of nine reform measures they insist will quickly lead to the kind of culture change in Springfield most agree is critically needed. Heading the list of proposals are measures that would ban legislators from becoming lobbyists, require greater financial disclosures, establish a censure process, make the legislative inspector general more independent, and institute term limits.

Hansen, who is running against state Rep. Maurice West Jr. (D-Rockford) in the 67th District, argues all those efforts seem futile as long as Madigan remains in power.

“Trying any of this as long as he’s in power is like watching the devil write reform steps for Heaven,” she said. “He has to go and so do all the people that have been blindly following him.”

Indeed, Hansen argues the overhaul in Springfield needs to be widespread and massive.  

“We need to start fresh and pick apart all the laws Madigan has put into place, reworking them to where they are fair and balanced policies,” she said. “Things like pension reform and property taxes are really issues we need to revisit. I think everyone needs to put party lines aside and get back to work for the people they are supposed to be representing.”