Nichols Helps Pass Legislation Cracking Down on Corruption

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – To ensure that elected officials are working to improve the lives of those they serve, state Rep. Cyril Nichols, D-Chicago, helped pass comprehensive ethics legislation that provides additional restrictions and oversight on politicians and political insiders.

“Legislators are elected to find solutions to the problems that their constituents are facing, not find ways to pad their own pockets,” said Nichols. “With the many important issues that residents are facing, we cannot allow elected officials to abandon the needs of their constituents. This legislation will help ensure that officials are serving the people, not themselves.”

As part of his efforts to make state government work for the residents of Illinois rather than politicians, Nichols voted in favor of Senate Bill 539. The legislation has a number of provisions that ensure elected officials are working on behalf of their constituents, including ensuring legislators are not receiving taxpayer dollars on days they did not work and prohibiting officials from becoming lobbyists until six months after their term ends. The bill also strengthens oversight on political insiders by requiring additional transparency from lobbyists.

“After a year in which so many Illinoisans are struggling to make ends meet, it is unacceptable to allow politicians to ignore their duty to their constituents,” said Nichols. “We must ensure that our government is working as efficiently as possible for the people of Illinois, and I will continue to fight to make sure we are putting the needs of residents, not politicians, first.”