Progress Illinois

State Rep. Julie Hamos (D-Evanston) appeared on WFLD's Good Day Chicago this morning to talk about the ongoing efforts to pass various ethics reforms in Springfield.  Watch it:

HAMOS: What I'm worried about is that the leaders will block the one really big agenda that has to be accomplished also -- and that's to put a limit on how much money will influence politics. ... All four leaders seem to be in this one together.  They like the politics of the past, where they can raise unlimited amounts of money, transfer as much as they want from their campaign funds to members' funds -- that's a way that they really exert a lot of influence on our members.  We want to limit that too.

Well, Hamos can't be too pleased with the contribution caps proposal rolled out by the Senate Democrats today. 

While it limits both individual and institutional donations, it doesn't restrict transfers from campaign committees. Good government groups are rightly calling foul.  From the Tribune:

"Limits must be set on how much money the four legislative leaders can collect and pass on to candidates of their choice," said Peter Bensinger, co-chair of a good government coalition called CHANGE Illinois!. "These war chests subvert the will of individual voters. Without limits on transfers, Illinois won't have real reform."