SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Cherry Valley) issued a public statement in response to the March 2 announcement by federal officials of a 22-count indictment of former House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago on public corruption charges.

“Another day, another federal indictment of a former Democrat lawmaker from Chicago. It should come as no surprise. Illinois has a long history of government corruption over many decades,” Syverson said. “We must do more to hold state lawmakers accountable and, in the process, restore some of the public trust that has been so terribly abused by some politicians. My Senate Republican colleagues and I have been pushing for strong ethics reforms but have come up against some walls in trying to get them discussed in Springfield.”

In mid-January, Illinois Senate Republicans introduced tougher ethics reforms that will hold politicians more accountable and better equip officials to investigate public corruption. Senate Bill 3636 will improve transparency, strengthen existing ethics laws, add new ethics provisions, and give the judicial branch enhanced tools to effectively investigate and prosecute public officials who break the law.