By Illinois Public Radio
Chicago, Ill. – Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday signed into law a tough new ethics reform package.
Blagojevich says politics in Illinois have been plagued by scandal. The governor says the historic reforms are the first step toward changing business as usual in state government.
The package creates ethics commissions and inspectors general to uncover wrongdoing. It prohibits state employees from working for companies they had power over for a year after leaving state employ. The package also bans lobbyists from serving on state boards and commissions, and limits how much they can spend wining and dining officials.