If you think Connecticut is restrictive when it comes to ethics regulation, take a look at Illinois. The State of Illinois has passed some serious ethics reform in the wake of the corruption scandal surrounding ousted Governor Rod Blagojevich. But interestingly, there are some areas where Connecticut still leads other states in limiting lobbyist activity. Here are some of the ways in which it compares to the Nutmeg state:
| Illinois | Connecticut |
| Lobbyists must file weekly financial reports during the session and monthly during the interim | Lobbyists file monthly during the session and quarterly during the interim |
| The fee for registration is $1000 | Connecticut’s fee is $150 per client and individual communicator |
| Gift prohibition now is extended to family members - gifts must be under $100 | Public official’s families have been included in gift ban for years in CT and our gift limit is $50 |
| Bans political contributions from state contractors with contracts over $25,000 | Connecticut’s campaign finance law prohibits lobbyists and principals of state contractors, and their immediate family members, from making any political contributions |
Doesn’t it seem that state legislature’s go a little overboard in reaction to political scandals when enacting ethics reform? Wouldn’t the better approach be to negotiate and pass reform legislation proactively rather than reactively - in the absence of political agendas and rhetoric?
