>>> AS WE JUST HEARD, FORMER  ILLINOIS HOUSE SPEAKER MICHAEL   MADIGAN IS FACING CORRUPTION  CHARGES ALONG WITH HIS CLOSE  FRIEND AND CONFIDENT FORMER   LAWMAKER TURNED LOBBYIST,   MICHAEL MacLEAN SO HERE WHAT   POSSIBLE LEGISLATIVE REFORMS   COULD RESULT?
JOIN US NOW ARE   THE STATE SENATOR CURRAN AND  THE STATE  REPRESENTATIVE THE  ILLINOIS HOUSE REPUBLICAN   LEADER AND WE ALSO INVITED   DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS OF THE   ILLINOIS HOUSE AND SENATE BUT   THEY DECLINED AND GOVERNOR   PRITZKER AND THE SPOKESPERSON  SENT A STATEMENT THAT SAYS,  SINCE TAKING OFFICE, THE   GOVERNOR HAS ADVANCED THE    CAUSE OF ETHICS REFORM IN KEY  AREAS ESPECIALLY IN BRINGING   MORE TRANSPARENCY TO THE   PROCESS AND TIGHTENING  REQUIREMENTS FOR LOBBYISTS AND   THE GOVERNOR BELIEVES WE MUST   RESTORE THE PUBLIC'S TRUST IN   GOVERNMENT AND WORK WITH THE   GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO MAKE SURE  THAT THOSE WHO VIOLATE THAT   TRUST ARE HELD ACCOUNTABLE.
MEANWHILE THE SENATOR AND   REPRESENTATIVE, WE THANK YOU   FOR JOINING US AND LET'S START   WITH YOU AND IN LIGHT OF THOSE,  HAD FOUR CONVICTIONS WHAT IS   THE NUMBER ONE ETHICS REFORM  YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE?
>> I HAVE BEEN PROPOSING IN THE  SENATE FOR QUITE A WHILE AND   EXPANDING RICO WIRETAPPING   AUTHORITY TO OUR LOCAL  PROSECUTORS THROUGHOUT THE  STATE  AND THE SAME TOOL THE  FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THE FBI   IN THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE   USES IN THESE TYPES OF   INVESTIGATIONS RESULTING IN THE  CONVICTION OF THE FORMER  EXECUTIVE  DIRECTOR OF THE   ILLINOIS DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS  WELL AS EXPANDING THE STATE  JURY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL USES   TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC CORRUPTION   CRIME AND WE HAVE IMPANELED A   STATEWIDE GRAND JURY BUT IT IS   LIMITED AND DOESN'T ALLOW THE   ATTORNEY GENERAL TO INVESTIGATE   PUBLIC CORRUPTION CRIMES AND I  THINK THOSE ARE TWO REFORMS  THAT DO MAKE A LOT OF SENSE AND  HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE   AND IT IS PAST TIME FOR THE   GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO MOVE   FORWARD.
>> TELL US ABOUT YOUR ETHICS  BILL THAT WOULD BAN THE USE OF  CAMPAIGN FUNDS FOR CRIMINAL   DEFENSE ATTORNEYS.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
THIS IS A BILL THAT HAS BEEN   PROPOSED BEFORE AND THIS IS ONE  OF MANY AND I THINK WE COULD DO  SOME ADDITIONAL ON REVOLVING   DOORS FOR LEGISLATIVE LOBBYISTS  AS WELL BUT THIS ONE WE DID   RECEIVE CAMPAIGN FUNDING FROM  OUR DONORS TO GET A SELECTED OR  REELECTED AND TO BE ABLE TO USE  THOSE CAMPAIGN DOLLARS  AS   SPEAKER MADIGAN HAS USED $8.5  MILLION OF CAMPAIGN DONATIONS   IN HIS COURT CASES HERE AND IT   SEEMS UNETHICAL AND   DISINGENUOUS TO DONORS.
THIS  BILL WOULD CHANGE THAT AND I   THINK IT IS A PRETTY COMMON  SENSE BILL TO BRING FORWARD.
>> DEMOCRATS SAY THEY HAVE AN   ACTIVE ETHICS REFORM IN THE   WAKE OF THE COMMENT SCANDAL   INCLUDING LAWMAKERS TO LIFT   IMMEDIATE FAMILY MEMBERS   EMPLOYED BY A PUBLIC UTILITY  AND YOU THINK THAT GOES FAR   ENOUGH?
>> IT DOES NOT.
THERE HAVE BEEN  SOME STEPS ON TRANSPARENCY AND   DISCLOSURES THAT THE ASSEMBLY   IS TAKING BUT WE CONTINUED   UNDER RESOURCE AND UNDER STAFF    THE LAW ENFORCEMENT END OF IT   THAT ACTUALLY INVESTIGATES   THESE TYPES OF CRIMES AND ALSO   THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE   LIMITED IN RESOURCES ACTS AS A   FILTER ON ACTUALLY   INVESTIGATING AND ROOTING OUT   ALL OF THE ACTIVITY THAT WE   WANT TO REMOVE FROM THE  LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND FROM   GOVERNMENT IN GENERAL.
>> WE DID TALK ABOUT A   REVOLVING DOOR WHERE  LAWMAKERS  BECOME LOBBYISTS AND HOW BIG OF  A PROBLEM IS THAT?
>> IT IS A PRETTY BIG PROBLEM   AND WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT IS   INTERESTING AND I THOUGHT THIS  WAS A RIDICULOUS THING THAT  COULD HAPPEN BUT IT IS AMAZING  TO ME TO THINK THAT I COULD BE   THE MAYOR OF A COMMUNITY AND A   STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND   LOBBYIST AT THE SAME TIME.
IT  CERTAINLY IS A PROBLEM AND NOT   APPROPRIATE.
THERE IS ALSO A   CASE WHERE A SENATOR WAS  CHARGED AND CONVICTED AND THEY  CAN TURN AROUND AND COME BACK   AND BE A LOBBYIST AND THAT IS   ALSO AN ISSUE THAT I THINK WE   SHOULD BE BANNING IN THE   GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
>> WHAT WOULD GIVEN THE  SUBPOENA POWER VERSUS A   CRIMINAL PROBE, WHAT WOULD IT   DO?
>> IT IS JUST ANOTHER   ARTIFICIAL FILTER WE PUT ON THE  PROCESS AND THE LEGISLATIVE   INSPECTOR GENERAL HAS TO GET  AUTHORITY UNDER THE STATUTE TO  ISSUE A SUBPOENA FROM THE   ETHICS OVERSIGHT COMMISSION AND  WE WANT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL   TO ACT WITH AUTONOMY AND   INVESTIGATE AND ROOT OUT ANY  PRACTICES AND THAT  CERTAINLY   SHOULD BE WITHIN THAT OFFICE TO  ISSUE THOSE SUBPOENAS AND   GATHER THE FACTS AND PUT THOSE   IN FRONT OF THE ETHICS   COMMISSION AND NOT BE  CONSTRAINED FROM INVESTIGATING  THE ALLEGATIONS BROUGHT TO THE   INSPECTOR GENERAL.
>> THE DEMOCRATS AS WE SAID   EARLIER PAST ETHICS REFORMS IN   THE SPRING SESSION AND DID YOU   VOTE FOR THEM AND IS THAT  BETTER THAN NOTHING?
>> WE WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT   ETHICS REFORM AND JUST TO PASS   A LITTLE BIT THEY SAY IT IS   COMPREHENSIVE AND THEY SAY THEY  WERE PASSING REFORM ON THE   ECONOMIC STATEMENT FOR OUR   DISCLOSURES AND OF COURSE  ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING  BUT WHEN YOU ARE NOT PUNISHING   BAD BEHAVIOR OR REALLY BEING   STRONG ON IT, YOU ARE BEING  POLITICAL SO THEY CAN SAY THEY  HAVE DONE COMPREHENSIVE AND WE   REALLY NEED TO BE TACKLING   THIS.
AT THE END OF THE SESSION  THEY SAID WE REALLY NEED SOME   TIME AND WE WILL BE CALLING FOR  SOME SUMMER SESSIONS AND WE  WILL REALLY BE TACKLING THIS   THIS SUMMER, BUT THERE HASN'T   BEEN ANY  TACKLING THAT THE   SUMMER SO IT IS A PROBLEM AND  THEY SAY WE HAVE RUN OUT OF   TIME AND WE ARE BUSY DURING THE  SESSION AND THAT IS WERE   LEADERS LAST WEEK CALLED FOR   THE GOVERNOR TO CALL FOR A   SPECIAL SESSION AND IF WE DON'T  HAVE ANY TIME LET'S HAVE A  SPECIAL SESSION AND HAMMER THIS  OUT AND THIS ISN'T A REPUBLICAN  OR DEMOCRAT ISSUE BUT JUST AN