By DOUG WILSON
Herald-Whig Senior Writer
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes wants to clean up state politics.
During a visit to Quincy on Thursday, Hynes urged Gov. Rod Blagojevich to sign ethics legislation that would prevent contractors on projects worth at least $50,000 from contributing to political campaigns.
House Bill 824 passed unanimously in the House and Senate this year. It now is awaiting the governor's signature to become law.
"The public wants this. The people they elected to represent them want this," Hynes said.
Hynes has been a consistent advocate for the no-contribution law. In 2005 he banned any contributions coming from companies doing at least $10,000 worth of business with the comptroller's office.
Other state constitutional officers adopted similar rules, except for Blagojevich. The governor's campaign fund in the first six months of this year received $314,000 in donations from companies doing business with the state.
This summer, Hynes believes the ethics legislation could help Blagojevich convince legislators to move forward with a capital construction program. Approval of a pay-to-play law would help ease any concerns that contractors would be pressured for campaign contributions.
Cyndi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, said the lack of a campaign contribution ban sends the wrong message.
"There has been so much corruption involving ... lucrative state contracts in exchange for campaign contributions that many business owners believe campaign contributions are a prerequisite to winning a contract," Canary said.
Hynes does agree with Blagojevich and three of the four legislative leaders who are seeking the first major construction and jobs bill since Illinois FIRST was approved in 1999.
"We do need to move forward with a capital bill and invest in our infrastructure," said Hynes, who also voiced his concern about the state's finances during Thursday's visit.
He has seen "steady deterioration" in the state's cash flow during recent years. Part of that problem began during strong economic times when the leaders did not set aside money or hold the line on government programs.
"Now we've got the governor expanding health care and we've got health care inflation," Hynes said.
Other political leaders are to blame as well because "there is no cooperation or consensus on how to address these things."
One large challenge facing the state is the pension program. Hynes said the state pension obligation rose by $700 million in the fiscal year that began July 1. When the $600 million growth in medical costs is factored in, he said any revenue growth is already committed.
-- dwilson@whig.com/221-3372
