Rockford Sun

State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) is drawing attention to a survey by Illinois House Republicans as part of their Reimagine Illinois campaign. The questionnaire includes such questions as "Do you think ethics reform should be a priority for Illinois lawmakers?"

The Reimagine Illinois platform stresses ethics reform for lawmakers, responsible fiscal leadership and good jobs in hopes of slowing the state's decline in population.

The campaign also urges policies toward public safety, “where all neighborhoods are free of senseless violence and our streets are safe places for our kids to grow up,” Reimagine Illinois posts on its website.

Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Litchfield) feels she has an ideal starting point.

“One of the main bills is House Bill 626, which is super common sense,” Bourne said in a video. “It says you need 72 hours between a budget bill being introduced and when you vote on it. There’s (a) 72-hour waiting period when you buy firearms, but we don’t have a waiting period to spend taxpayer dollars.”

Bourne stresses that Republican lawmakers are intent on making sure that’s only a starting point.

“We need to do a lot more and our entire focus is on these four areas,” she said. “We have over a dozen bills that deal with who serves in elected office and how they’re held accountable, everything from enhanced transparency to not being able to be a lobbyist and legislator at the same time.”

Keicher and Bourne aren't the only Republican lawmakers calling for change in Springfield.

State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) recently joined colleague Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) in a video where they explain how corruption decreases economic growth and ultimately causes social services to suffer.

“I think that we know that, for far too long, Illinoisans have been paying a high price for corruption,” Haas told the Kankakee Times. ”We’re painfully aware that corruption decreases economic growth and it discourages development in our state.”