Walsh Calls for Increased Transparency, Fiscal Responsibility from Governor’s Office

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – In an effort to increase fiscal transparency in the governor’s office and state government, state Rep. Larry Walsh, D-Elwood, is calling on Gov. Rauner to sign the Truth in Hiring Act into law.

“When we talk about cutting waste and reducing unnecessary spending, that should apply to the governor’s office too,” Walsh said. “Under current law, the governor can hide political appointees on the public payroll by paying them through a different state agency. This practice not only masks the true size of the governor’s budget but also diverts money from being used to help Illinois residents.”

Walsh’s House Bill 5121 would prevent the current and future governors from “offshoring” salaries for governor’s office employees in budgets of other state agencies. Currently, 44 staffers are paid from Gov. Rauner’s office budget and an additional 58 staffers working for the governor are paid from the payrolls of human services agencies. According to Comptroller Susana Mendoza’s office, last year $5 million in payroll was spent by other government agencies for the governor’s staff.

“If we are serious about getting Illinois back on sound financial footing, we deserve to know how much any governor’s office is really spending,” Walsh said. “This is not a Democratic or Republican issue; it’s about bringing fiscal accountability to our state.”