DeKalb Times

State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) wants voters to have their say about ethics reform in Springfield.

Keicher is promoting a survey being taken by Illinois House Republicans as part of their Reimagine Illinois campaign. The first question is "Do you think ethics reform should be a priority for Illinois lawmakers?"

Keicher isn’t the only Republican lawmaker pushing Reimagine Illinois as the answer to reform in Springfield.

Other principles of the plan include putting an end to corruption in Springfield, school funding, instituting responsible, growing jobs and public safety.

“One of the main bills is House Bill 626, which is super common sense,” Rep. Avery Boune (R-Litchfield) said in a video posted to YouTube. “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 said that’s only the start.

“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.”

State Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) is also on board, recently joining colleague Rep. Chris Bos (R-Lake Zurich) in a video where they highlight some of the ways they feel corruption has negatively impacted services and residents receiving them.

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