Legislative update: Government transparency, consolidation bills on the move in Springfield

Illinois Policy Action has been busy advancing its 2016 Legislative Agenda, arguing for bills that make local- government operations more transparent to residents, and promote efficiency.

Spring legislative session is in full swing in Springfield. Despite the ongoing budget gridlock and continued partisanship in Springfield, good-government bills from the Illinois Policy Action, or IPA, 2016 Legislative Agenda have been gaining momentum.

Illinoisans cannot afford ever-increasing property taxes, especially when coupled with a lack of access to local government decision-making that makes it impossible to keep government accountable. The following bills from IPA’s legislative agenda are aimed at walking back the state’s local-government mess:

• Local-government transparency: Illinoisans are tired of having limited access to information on how their various local governments make decisions and spend tax dollars. House Bill 5522, sponsored by state Rep. Jeanne Ives, R-Wheaton, will require local governments to create websites to serve as user-friendly portals for this information. IPA has championed this initiative for years and marshaled enough support for it to pass the House of Representatives last year before going to the Senate, which did not pass the bill. The early momentum of the bill this year, however, is a good indicator that it has the potential to pass both chambers this session.

• Local-government consolidation: Illinois has more units of local government than any other state in the country – nearly 7,000, in fact – which drive up property taxes and often stand in the way of efficiency. The state desperately needs consolidation reform. Democrats and Republicans alike have recognized this need, and the December 2015 report of the lieutenant governor’s Task Force on Local Government Consolidation and Unfunded Mandates provides specific recommendations to make Illinois’ local governments work for taxpayers. IPA has worked with state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, to propose House Bills 4975 and 4501 to facilitate consolidation and dissolution of townships and county-appointed government units where they are not providing sufficient value to the taxpayers who fund them. IPA is also supporting other bills that came out of the task force’s report, such as House Bill 4967, or the Citizens Empowerment Act, sponsored by Rep. Dave McSweeney, R-Cary, which allows for consolidation of local governments through referendums. This bill would empower taxpayers to take action when they see opportunities to make their government more efficient and cost-effective.

These bills provide a window on just a few of the partnerships forming around the idea of good-government reform.

IPA has been busy in Springfield promoting its 2016 Legislative Agenda – working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to find common ground on commonsense local-government reforms, among other items. The House of Representatives is adjourned until April, but IPA will continue to meet with lawmakers during the break to support important legislation. IPA will provide updates on the progress of bills that will help make Illinois a freer, more prosperous, more efficient and more accountable state.