Nybo bill to increase transparency in State ethics investigations signed into law
ELMHURST — As more sexual harassment allegations surface in the Statehouse, State Sen. Chris Nybo (R-Elmhurst) cosponsored an initiative to help eliminate bias in the handling of legislative ethics complaints and give victims the confidence to step forward. With overwhelming bipartisan support, the Governor signed it into law last week.
“Individuals who come forward to report sexual harassment and other ethics complaints should be able to trust that their complaints will be investigated fairly,” said Nybo. “House Bill 138 is a significant step the State is taking to ensure that we have an independent Inspector General ready to handle any complaints as they arise.”
Most notably, House Bill 138 calls for an independent search committee to recommend candidates for the position of Legislative Inspector General (LIG)—the office that handles ethics complaints reported by state employees or individuals affiliated with state government. The independent search committee would be composed of retired judges or former prosecutors.
Additionally, in light of the recent and unjustifiable two-year vacancy of the LIG role, the measure provides the option of hiring a full-time LIG, which until now has been a part-time position. Nybo believes a full-time LIG would offer greater accessibility and availability to quickly vet and act on all complaints filed within the office.
“Harassment in the workplace is a growing concern in Illinois, and in passing this ethics reform, we hope to make the complaint-filing process safer, transparent and more accessible—so victims of harassment feel more comfortable reporting it,” said Nybo.
The Governor signed House Bill 138 into law in Chicago on June 8 and takes effect immediately.
Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.
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