Comptroller Hynes testified before a Congressional sub-committee July 28 that the cemetery industry operates in a “regulatory vacuum” in Illinois. He said legislation he has proposed should be enacted in order to better protect consumers and ensure that the Burr Oak tragedy cannot be repeated. Hynes worked with Operation PUSH, the Cook County State’s Attorney, Sheriff and Recorder of Deeds, many legislators and others to craft the comprehensive regulatory reform package.

Comptroller Hynes shares his views on education funding with Illinois Education Association President Ken Swanson at the 2009 IEA Representative Assembly. Hynes shared the stage with fellow Constitutional Officers Attorney General Lisa Madigan and State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias in front of a crowd of 1,500 IEA Representatives. (Picture courtesy of the IEA).

Comptroller Hynes, with a friendly assist from son Finley, waves to the crowd along the route of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago on March 14.

Comptroller Hynes gathered hundreds of health care and social service vendors from across the state in Springfield on March 10 to help push for budgetary reforms that will help ease payments delays and end the practice of balancing state budgets on the backs of providers and the people they serve. Here, Hynes testifies in the Senate Human Services Committee with lead sponsor Sen. William Delgado on SB 1643. The bill, which passed unanimously, is designed to close a budgetary loophole which allows bills to be deferred to the next fiscal year.

Comptroller Hynes joined more than 5,000 laid off steelworkers and a coalition of unions and community groups in a march February 10, 2009 calling on Congress to pass legislation that invests in America and puts people back to work. The march began at the mostly idle U.S. Steel plant in Granite City, Illinois where 1,600 are on layoff and proceeded through Main Street, ending a mile away at the Amsted Rail Foundry where 600 employees face imminent layoff.

Comptroller Hynes met February 9, 2009 with more than 50 social service providers and community leaders at the Masonic Temple on E. 42nd St. to discuss the state's inability to reimburse vendors in a timely fashion. Hynes is shown here with Rev. Dr. Al Sampson, Senior Pastor of Fernwood United Methodist Church and Rev. Walter Turner, pastor of New Spiritual Light Missionary Baptist Church.

Comptroller Hynes attended the Equality Illinois Justice for All Gala on February 7, 2009 at the Chicago Hilton and Towers. Hynes has been a long-time supporter of the organization.

Speaking at Loyola University Chicago School of Law's Public Interest Law Reporter Symposium titled, "Separate and Unequal? The Socioeconomic Realities of Public Education in America" on February 6, 2009, Comptroller Hynes called on legislators to address the inadequate levels of state funding for elementary and secondary education in Illinois. Roughly 100 lawyers, students and education advocates were in attendance.

Speaking before the Illinois Reform Commission at its first meeting on January 22, 2009, Comptroller Dan Hynes suggested that members use simple common sense as a litmus test as they craft ethics reform proposals. "Too many current ethics laws just don't make any sense and the average citizen could clearly see that," Hynes said. The commission, which praised Hynes for his successful efforts to enact a pay-to-play ban in Illinois last year, has been given 100 days to produce a blueprint for further reforming state government.

Comptroller Hynes met with 60 human services providers on January 12 at the JLM Abundant Life Center on Chicago’s West Side. Rev. Johnny Miller, pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, hosted the meeting, in which Hynes heard vendors say that payment delays are severely impairing their ability to provide necessary services to the community. He explained why payment delays are occurring, listened to providers express their frustration with the system, and offered several suggestions to help expedite the process.

Comptroller Dan Hynes met December 17 with a group of ministers from Chicago to discuss the state's fiscal crisis. The ministers expressed concern that the state's continuing inability to pay its vendors in a timely fashion has jeopardized the delivery of critical state services to many members of their congregations. Hynes urged support for legislation that would address the budget shortfall.

Comptroller Hynes kicked off a statewide series of town hall meetings in Carterville on October 14 aimed at highlighting the problems Medicaid recipients have getting access to quality health and dental care. The meetings feature Medicaid recipients describing to Hynes and local lawmakers the hurdles they must overcome to find care for themselves and their children and how they are often refused care because they are on Medicaid. The Comptroller’s Office conducted a survey this past summer of Medicaid recipients across Illinois, and of the 3,500 people who responded, 70 percent said they had difficulty finding a local doctor or dentist.

Comptroller Hynes gathered a bi-partisan group of Illinois political leaders on September 15 to urge Illinois Senate President Emil Jones to bring the Senate back into session to override Governor Rod Blagojevich's veto of landmark ethics legislation. House Bill 824, originally drafted by Hynes, would end the crippling influence of pay-to-play politics in Illinois. In attendance were Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, key Democratic and Republican lawmakers, and representatives from the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, the League of Women Voters, Illinois PIRG, Better Government Association, Citizen Advocacy Center and Protestants for the Common Good. Hynes said a delay of a vote until after the November election would most likely result in ethics reform legislation being tied up in court battles for two or more years.

Comptroller Hynes met with members of his Advisory Council September 11, and encouraged their input on policy issues that directly impact minority communities. The IOC Advisory Council is composed of 40 professionals, who will address issues that affect Illinois' healthcare, education and business communities. These individuals bring a wealth of knowledge from a variety of backgrounds and will discuss, research and collaborate ideas to constructively assist the Comptroller in developing his policy agenda. Here, Hynes talks with Advisory Council member Bapu Arekapudi, while members Gail Mercherson, William Payton, Sr. and his wife Brenda meet and greet one another.

Comptroller Hynes gave an in-depth presentation on the status of hospital care in Illinois to board members of the Illinois Hospital Association, during which he outlined problems and offered solutions. Here, he stands with Howard Peters, Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Government Relations at the IHA. July 18, 2008.

Comptroller Dan Hynes toured Chicago's 16th ward with Alderman JoAnn Thompson, including a visit to the newly constructed Kennedy-King College. They also examined site development areas and discussed the need for capital funding for job development in the Englewood community. In the coming weeks, Hynes will meet with local officials and residents in numerous Chicago wards, in order to better assess the need for state-funded improvements. July 8, 2008

Comptroller Hynes visited a neighborhood in East Moline that had been devastated by the recent flooding along the Mississippi River. After meeting with local officials, he spent the afternoon taking part in clean-up efforts. Here, he applies elbow grease to a basement sink that a week earlier was under water. June 25, 2008.

Comptroller Dan Hynes walked the picket line with Henry Tamarin, President of Unite Here Local 1, Chicago's 14,000-member hospitality workers’ union on May 12 in front of the Congress Hotel, on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. They were joined by hundreds in support of health care and good wages for all hotel and service workers.

Comptroller Dan Hynes met with administrators and toured the campuses of five colleges and universities in May to broadcast his message that state officials need to boost funding for higher education. Hynes noted that colleges and universities already are receiving less funding from the state this fiscal year than they did five years ago and average tuition costs have increased well over 50 percent during that period. “The failure to adequately fund higher education puts our institutions further behind financially, puts their national reputations for excellence at risk, and, worst of all, puts the dream of a college education and a better life out of reach for many students,” he said. Here, he stands with administrators at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. He also visited Western Illinois University in Macomb, Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois State University in Normal and the College of Lake County in Grayslake.

Comptroller Hynes prepares to meet the press following a discussion about Illinois' Medicaid program with administrators at Blessing Hospital in Quincy. Hynes noted that chronic under funding of the program creates a hardship for patients who need care and for healthcare providers who wait months and months for reimbursement from the state. (May 5, 2008)

Comptroller Hynes met in Rockford with staff and volunteers from the Winnebago County Unit of the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service on April 29, and called on Governor Blagojevich to release funding for their programs. Here, Director Margaret Larson gives a presentation about Illinois Extension, which serves more than 2.5 million Illinois residents each year, including nearly 300,000 in 4-H youth programs.

Comptroller Hynes, fourth from left, took a tour of the Willow Creek Mine in Equality on April 22. Willow Creek, a union coal mine, is enjoying strong coal production. Hynes received a tutorial on the state and national coal industry, learned how it is transported and cleaned, and was briefed on safety equipment and procedures.

Comptroller Hynes spent 40 minutes with Mrs. Angie Perkins’ 30 fourth grade students at the Eastside Elementary School in Harrisburg on April 22. After explaining the job of comptroller, Hynes read “Alexander Who Used To Be Rich,” the story of a boy who squandered money given to him by his grandparents. Hynes told the students that the state too often acts like Alexander, and spends when it should be saving money for a rainy day.

Comptroller Hynes toured the Chrysler plant in Belvidere on April 29, meeting with officials and workers to discuss plant operations, recent job losses and the Illinois economy. Here, he’s flanked by Gene Merkes, Product Quality Improvement Manager, and Jim Tillman, Chrysler Team Leader.

Comptroller Hynes participated in groundbreaking ceremonies for the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Memorial Hospital groundbreaking on April 21 with numerous elected and community leaders, including Alderman Brendan Reilly, State Senator Kwame Raoul, former state representative Elga Jeffries, Alderman Willie Cochran, Alderman Carrie Austin and State Representative Sara Feigenholtz. The 288-bed, state-of-the-art facility is expected to open in 2012.

Comptroller Hynes talks with Chicago Alderman Sharon Dixon and guests at the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation's "20 Years of Loving Our Neighborhood" celebration February 28. The event, hosted at the DuSable Museum, honored leaders working to make a difference in Chicago's North Lawndale community. (February 28, 2008)

The state's inability in recent years to shore up its pension systems, contain health care costs and invest more fully in education are further eroding the structural stability of state finances, Comptroller Hynes said in the keynote address January 29 to the 7th Annual Fiscal Symposium hosted by the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability in Chicago. Here, he shares a moment with Ralph Martire, the Center’s Director. (January 29, 2008)

Dan Hynes, Santa and a youth share a laugh at the YMCA on 37th and Wabash in Chicago on December 18. Hynes helped distribute more than 70 gifts to children ages 5-12 who attend an after-school program at the YMCA. The gifts were donated by Hynes and members of the IOC staff. (December 18, 2007)

Comptroller Hynes visits with Charles N. Wheeler III, director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at the University of Illinois at Springfield, following a presentation to Wheeler's students. Students in the program earn advanced college degrees, while focusing their news reporting efforts on Illinois government and politics. (November 14, 2007)

Comptroller Dan Hynes addresses members of the Illinois Brotherhood of Electrical Workers at their annual state conference in Springfield. (November 6, 2007)

Comptroller Dan Hynes was awarded the 2007 Paul Simon Public Service Award by the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform. Here, he is congratulated by the Honorable Abner Mikva, who won the award in 2005. Hynes was recognized for this leadership in efforts to enact legislation to limit opportunities for pay-to-play in state contracting, to reform state laws regulating lobbyists, and to create a public financing system for elections to the state’s highest courts. (November 7, 2007)

Comptroller Dan Hynes stressed the importance of giving at the March of Dimes Second Annual Faces of Our Success Awards. Here he stands with Awardees Union League President Cheryl Jackson, State Sen. Iris Martinez, and Channel 7’s Linda Yu. Also, Event Chair, Chicago Treasurer Stephanie Neely; and Master of Ceremonies, Channel 5’s Warner Saunders. Hynes was an Honorary Co-Chair for the event, which honored Chicago's leaders who promote diversity within the workplace and community. (November 1, 2007)

David Morrison (left), Deputy Director of the Illinois Coalition for Political Reform and Kent Redfield (right), professor of Political Studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield and Director of the Sunshine Project, visit with Comptroller Dan Hynes following the unveiling of Open Book, a user-friendly website that allows citizens to track political contributions made by companies that have state contracts. The site can be viewed at www.OpenBook.ioc.state.il.us. (October 23, 2007)

Comptroller Dan Hynes speaks with reporters following a presentation in Springfield at the Sangamo Speakers Forum. Hynes urged state officials to put their differences aside and work together to resolve outstanding FY08 budget issues. (October 18, 2007)

Comptroller Hynes, second from right, addressed the State of the State Luncheon presented by League of Women Voters of Illinois on April 24, 2007. In his remarks, Hynes cautioned that the state should fix its Medicaid funding problems that leave doctors waiting up to a year for payment before considering additional health care programs. Until that program is fixed, Hynes said, Medicaid clients in some parts of the state will continue to be underserved. Panelists at the luncheon also pictured, left to right, are Ginger Ostro of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget, R. Eden Martin of the Commercial Club of Chicago, Hynes, and Ralph Martire, of the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability.

Comptroller Dan Hynes accepts the Abraham Lincoln Ethics Award from James Brennan, Chairman of the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission. The award is given for exemplary adherence to the principles of integrity, fairness and public service.The Comptroller's Office was the only Constitutional Office to receive the award. In presenting the award, Brennan said, "The Comptroller's Office's scrupulous commitment to ethical operations earned it the Commission's unanimous endorsement" for the award. Brennan also praised the Comptroller, saying his "willingness to look beyond what the law requires, and to aspire toward what is possible, makes his office a worthy recipient."

Participants in the Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month Seminar at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in September, 2007, heard Comptroller Hynes make the case for increased state funding for stem cell research.

Speaking before the Chicago Area Laborers-Employers Cooperation and Education Trust on March 2, Comptroller Hynes voiced strong support for passage of House Bill 1795, the Employee Classification Act, which will end the abusive practice of employers misclassifying workers as independent contractors in order to avoid paying social security and other payroll-related taxes, pensions and health benefits. Hynes cited a study indicating that in 2005, 8.5 percent of workers in the construction industry were being misclassified.

Access to affordable health care for all is being jeopardized by budget loopholes that allow Medicaid programs to be underfunded by more than $2 billion each year, Comptroller Dan Hynes told lawmakers in March. To deliver that message, Hynes enlisted the help of women from across the state whose families have been hurt by lack of available health care services. Here, he meets with (left to right) Jennifer Glick, Carla Bagwell, Crystal Walton, Alicia Hansel, Anna Simmerman, Toni Womble, Patricia Gordon and Aimee Britton. House Bill 3397, drafted by Hynes, would end Medicaid’s chronic underfunding.

Comptroller Hynes and Sen. William Delgado, D-Chicago, exchange views February 21 on the Senate floor, shortly before the Senate voted 35-23 to OK research on embryonic stem cells. Hynes said of the vote: "It isn't often that we in government are presented with the extraordinary opportunity to make life-saving decisions. I believe this is one of those moments."

Comptroller Hynes, Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, and Cynthia Canary, Director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, testified February 28 in support of Senate Bill 222, which creates public financing of appellate and Illinois Supreme Court election campaigns. "We need to take special interests out of judicial elections and allow candidates to place the focus where it belongs – on qualifications," said Hynes. The bill was approved by the Senate Local Government Committee.

"Illinois has to spend more money on public education," Comptroller Hynes told 1,200 delegates at the IEA-NEA Representative Assembly in Rosemont March 8. "If we don't, the consequences are clear: our schools will not be as good as they could be; our students will do worse than they should; our future – or more specifically, our children's future -- will be compromised." Hynes said support for funding reform has increased in the General Assembly.

Comptroller Hynes and Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Plainfield, conferred on the Illinois Senate floor shortly before the Senate voted on February 21 to pass a bill that responsibly promotes stem cell research and creates a vehicle for its long-term funding.

Comptroller Dan Hynes and Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias greeted this year's St. Patrick's Day parade queen and her court while listening to bag pipe tunes performed by the Shannon Rovers' Irish Pipe Band at the James R. Thompson Center in Chicago on March 8.

PICTURED: Front Row: (L-R) Julie Popp, Chicago, Jennifer Moss, Chicago; Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, Queen Julie Ann Venci, Forest Park, Illinois State Comptroller Dan Hynes, Kerry Brennan, Chicago, and Maggie Coghlan, also of Chicago. Back row: (L-R) Shannon Rover Irish Pipe Band member Sean Costello and Tim Finnegan, Quarter Master.

Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes addresses business and government leaders about the need to end "pay to play" politics, the practice of government officials awarding contracts to individuals and corporations that make large campaign contributions. More pictures here.

Comptroller Dan Hynes answers questions during a panel discussion at the Committee for Economic Development (CED) and Illinois Campaign for Political Reform luncheon, "Building on Reform: Progress Made, Challenges Ahead." Hynes was joined by CED President Charles Kolb, ICPR Director Cynthia Canary and Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. More pictures here.

Comptroller Dan Hynes stopped in Champaign to urge citizens to support his Government Integrity Initiative. The sweeping ethics reform proposal aims to end the appearance of "pay to play" practices in Illinois and to restore integrity and public confidence in government. Ordinary citizens can make a difference in Springfield if they make their voices heard.

Comptroller Dan Hynes and Dr. Dzung Dinh (right), head of the Department of Neurosurgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria, discuss ongoing stem cell research at the facility. Researchers at the Peoria lab are working to find a cure for spinal cord injuries and Alzheimer's disease.

Comptroller Dan Hynes was on stage in downtown Chicago for a rally of half a million immigrants' rights advocates in March, 2006. Hynes voiced his strong support for an earned legalization program and immigration bill sponsored by Senators Ted Kennedy and John McCain.

Comptroller Dan Hynes stressed the importance of increasing funding for education in an appearance before members of the Illinois Education Association during their annual convention in March, 2006 in Rosemont.

Comptroller Dan Hynes meets with a coalition of healthcare providers in Springfield to address their concerns about delays in state payments for Medicaid services.

Comptroller Hynes shares a moment with Justin Davidge, 2, of Lake in the Hills, at the 8th Annual Asian American Festival Ribbon Cutting Ceremony at the Daley Center May 21st, 2007.

Members of Hadassah chapters meet with Comptroller Dan Hynes during a visit to Springfield in support of stem cell research.

Comptroller Dan Hynes stands with Michael Bauer, Senator Joseph Biden (D-Del) and Roger Simon at the Anti-Defamation League's dinner in October, 2005, honoring Bauer.

Speaking at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital in April, 2006, Comptroller Dan Hynes congratulated the scientists who were awarded $10 million in stem cell medical research grants.

Parents and children from across Illinois came to the Capitol to convince their legislators to support state funding for stem cell research. The group – all members of the Illinois Coalition for Cures – also attended a mid-day rally. Comptroller Dan Hynes (back row) addressed group members and applauded their efforts.

Comptroller Dan Hynes visits with Renee Morrissette-Thomas following her stirring speech in support of stem cell research. Morrissette-Thomas, who lost her father to illness, believes advances in research could mean longer, healthier lives for Illinoisans in the future.

Comptroller Hynes has accepted four students from Chicago's Cristo Rey High School work-study program, and is giving them real-world job experience in the Comptroller's Office this school year. The students, left to right, are Fernanda Polanco, Alex Cardoza, Raul Martinez and Elma Arce. Each student will be in the office for one full day and they will rotate Mondays. No student ever misses classes on their work days.