TROY, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Springfield lawmakers are now considering a bill, House Bill 5878, that would significantly increase penalties for politicians who abuse their power for financial gain.
This anti-corruption measure is supported by Governor Bruce Rauner and was formally introduced by Representative Grant Wehrli.
Jason Plummer, who is currently running for as the Republican for State Senate in the 54th district, says he supports the bill.
“One of the reasons that people and businesses are afraid to come to Illinois is the fact our state has one of the worst reputations for public corruption in the country,” Plummer said.
“This specific bill does two things: it demonstrates to the public that Illinois is serious about punishing criminal politicians and it promotes a political culture where the consequences of violating the public trust are real and severe. I applaud Governor Rauner and Rep. Wehrli for bringing this issue to the forefront.”
Public corruption is a big problem for Illinoisans, costing the state an estimated $16.7 billion between 1997 and 2008 and the federal Northern District of Illinois had the most public corruption convictions of any district in the country between 1976 and 2010[1].
Plummer is campaigning for political reform across the board.
“Every political system has bad actors, but Illinois has a political system that creates bad actors. This problem is closely related to the fact that we don’t have term limits and we allow career politicians to draw gerrymandered political districts. I want voters to know that I will be a strong, independent voice for political reform and for punishing those who abuse their power and harm the state’s already battered reputation.”