SPRINGFIELD – State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) 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.

“It’s a sad day for Illinoisans, but not really all that surprising. The stark reality is that Illinois’ political misdeeds span decades,” said Sen. Tracy, who serves as the Chair of the Legislative Ethics Committee. “For too many years, the corruption of a few elected officials has cast a shadow over the good work being done by so many other lawmakers in our Capitol. Cases such as this federal indictment are why many other lawmakers are pushing so hard for change. We seek to restore the public’s trust in its state government. Laws are in place, and they must be followed.”

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.