Today the Union League Club of Chicago hosted a panel discussion titled Ethics & Reform in Illinois: An Update that included Patrick Collins, Andy Shaw, and John Tillman. The panel was moderated and organized by the Union League Club’s Public Affairs Committee.
Patrick Collins was appointed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to chair the Illinois Reform Commission, an ethics commission task force that focuses on ways to clean up Illinois’s government. The main recommendations of the task force, as represented by Collins, deal with caps on campaign financing, redistribution of funds, and effective enforcement of any reforms.
Andy Shaw serves as executive director of the Better Government Association (BGA), which is a nonpartisan government watchdog. He spoke about the “unholy intersection” of jobs being awarded for campaign contributions and the need for change.
John Tillman is currently Chairman and CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. Unlike the other panelists, Tillman opposed caps on campaign contributions because he feels they favor the incumbent who is able to collect and build their resources during their term. Instead, Tillman focuses on promoting public financing, redistribution, and accountability.
Attorney Robert Kreisman of Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices serves on the Union League Club of Chicago’s Public Affairs Committee. For over 30 years, Kreisman Law Offices has handled Illinois personal injury law and Cook County medical malpractice cases in the Chicago area, including Rosemont, Berwyn, Oak Lawn, and Des Plaines.