>>> 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