The Illinois Senate passed a measure Thursday that would require the governor to disclose his total office staff and pay them all from his own payroll. The bill now heads to Governor Bruce Rauner's desk.
It started as an initiative called the “Truth in Hiring Act” which came from Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Democrat up for re-election. Using the term “off-shoring,” those in support of the bill say it’s been done by both Democratic and Republican governors for years.
State Senator Jil Tracy, a Republican from Quincy, says the practice has some benefits. She uses early childhood development as an example:
“It operates primarily on federal funds," said Tracy. "The office of governor runs on general revenue funds so it cannot receive these federal funds. So an intergovernmental agency agreement is then used so that another state agency can act as the fiscal agent and receive the funds and pay the governor’s office staff for their services.”
Still, the measure to end the practice passed the House unanimously, with only 7 “no” votes in the Senate.
Back in March, when the idea was first introduced, the Governor’s office said they would be open to discussion, but comments were not immediately available after the vote.
