September 15, 2009
For immediate release
Contact: Jessey Neves (562) 453-6342
Yesterday, a new initiative was introduced to the Cook County Board that will require lobbyists to regularly file information about their dealings with County officials. The Lobbyist Sunshine Initiative, proposed by Clerk David Orr and Commissioner Bridget Gainer, represents a half dozen amendments aimed at holding both lobbyists and public employees accountable for how the County awards new contracts.
Candidate for Cook County Board President, Alderman Toni Preckwinkle supports the proposed ordinance amendments. "Transparency is essential for efficient and effective government," stated Alderman Preckwinkle. "Though lobbyists are an important part of the system, they need to be held accountable by the citizens. This initiative guarantees the transparency that ensures citizens are able to hold their government accountable."
The initiative will institute public accountability by creating an online database, to which lobbyists will be required to submit any new client information within 48 hours of being contracted. Currently, lobbyists only file information twice a year, in January and July. In addition, the database will be publicly accessible through the web, so every citizen can see who is influencing the decisions being made by County officials. Interested persons will be able to easily search for lobbyist data, sorting by categories such as subject matter, client, and compensation. To maintain transparency in County Board meetings, lobbyists' names and firms will also be listed on Board agendas in advance of any contract approvals.
The initiative will institute public accountability by creating an online database, to which lobbyists will be required to submit any new client information within 48 hours of being contracted. Currently, lobbyists only file information twice a year, in January and July. In addition, the database will be publicly accessible through the web, so every citizen can see who is influencing the decisions being made by County officials. Interested persons will be able to easily search for lobbyist data, sorting by categories such as subject matter, client, and compensation. To maintain transparency in County Board meetings, lobbyists' names and firms will also be listed on Board agendas in advance of any contract approvals.
Besides making all lobbyist information available online, the proposed ordinance amendments also compel lobbyists to report their activities in far greater detail. Every lobbyist must maintain an updated list of all the County officials they lobby, the contract or subject matter for which they are lobbying, the entity on whose behalf they lobbied officials, and any personal relationships they may have with officials, either by birth or through marriage. Failure to file this information on time will result in significant fines, consistent with those set by the State of Illinois.
The reforms also include a one-year "cooling off" period, during which former County officials and employees are prohibited from lobbying the County on any issue.
"This initiative is a significant advance towards instituting the real and responsible change that Cook County needs," said Alderman Preckwinkle.
The following have signed on as co-sponsors of the Lobbyist Sunshine Initiative: County Board Chairman John Daley and Commissioners Joan Patricia Murphy, Elizabeth Ann Doody Gorman, Deborah Sims, Forrest Claypool and Timothy Schneider. The initiative also has the backing of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform.