Carroll: New Law Provides Greater Transparency to Taxpayers

BUFFALO GROVE, Ill. – In an effort to increase government transparency and accountability, state Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Buffalo Grove, commends colleagues on a new law which streamlines the use of taxpayer dollars, holding state agencies accountable.

“I am proud to have voted for the Debt Transparency Act to hold state agencies accountable and ensure that policymakers have a clear and complete picture of the state’s debt situation,” Carroll said. “This commonsense law will force state agencies to be more responsible in reporting the amount of outstanding bills they’ve yet to submit for payment and the taxpayer-funded interest being accrued on those bills. These monthly reports give us a more comprehensive assessment of the state’s backlog of bills.”

House Bill 3649 requires state agencies to report monthly to the Comptroller’s office on outstanding bills, interest penalties and fees. Currently, agencies are only required to submit these reports annually, masking the extent of the state’s backlog of bills.

“Voting to override the governor’s irresponsible veto of the Debt Transparency Act was one of my first acts as State Representative,” Carroll added. “This law is one positive step towards meaningfully paying off the state’s debt.”