Comptroller Dan Hynes today congratulated the Legislature, the legislative leaders and the bill's sponsors for approving landmark ethics reforms that would greatly curb so called pay-to-play politics in Illinois.

"This proposal was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate and the House and represents the hard work and dedication of many lawmakers – Democrats and Republicans alike –particularly Representative Fritchey and Senator Harmon who worked tirelessly as sponsors to ensure its passage," Hynes said. "Senate President Jones and Speaker Madigan also are to be commended for working with us to get this done."

"I urge the Governor to recognize the need to end pay-to-play politics in Illinois and to sign this bill, as is, as soon as it reaches his desk," Hynes said. "To do otherwise would further erode the public's confidence in their government."

"For far too long some politicians, with a wink and a nod, have been awarding contracts to campaign contributors," Hynes said. "They can say the two actions are not related, but the public isn't fooled. Taxpayers deserve to know that state contracts are awarded based on merit not on greed and political connections."

HB824 prohibits businesses with more than $50,000 in state contracts from making political donations to constitutional officers who award the contracts and candidates for those offices. The ban also applies to a company's owners, top officials and close family members.

Hynes was the original architect of the legislation in February 2005 and has been working closely with lawmakers in the House and Senate and reform groups to forge a proposal that the Legislature would approve and send the Governor. He instituted such a ban in his own office more than three years ago and at his urging, all of the other constitutional officers, except for the Governor, instituted the ban as well.