FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – February 11, 2009

Contact: Joe Calomino, (847) 204-8514

Springfield, Illinois-- Leading the charge to for transparency in state government, Americans for Prosperity and State Representative Michael Tryon (R-Crystal Lake) successfully advanced comprehensive transparency legislation. Yesterday, the Illinois House State Government and Administration Committee unanimously approved House Bill 35 to create the Illinois Accountability Portal.

With the help of Americans for Prosperity, Rep. Tryon authored the Illinois Accountability Portal legislation last year (HB 4765) where it passed the Illinois House of Representatives, but was never called for a vote in the Senate.

House Bill 35 has received bi-partisan support with more than a dozen co-sponsors in the Illinois House of Representatives. Last year, the legislation garnered support from several grassroots organizations, trade associations, press associations, and taxpayer protection groups.

“At this tenuous time in our state’s history, it is my belief that government must hold itself to the highest of standards. Transparent government is good government and good government has nothing to hide from the taxpayers who fund it,” said Americans for Prosperity’s state director Joe Calomino.

“In a state that is renowned for political corruption, insider deals, pay-to-play politics, and now the shameful spectacle of a governor allegedly attempting to sell a United States Senate seat, we can see no reason not to provide the public with as much information as possible regarding the inner workings of state government,” said Calomino.

HB 35 has passed the first hurdle in the legislative process. The debate between special interest groups and state government departments now begins. Americans for Prosperity will continue working through the legislative process to pass this very important transparency legislation. In the meantime, Governor Quinn is encouraged to hold state government to the highest standard and ensure that the public has total access to all public information.

The Illinois Accountability Portal would provide the public with direct access to:

* State Employees & Consultants: a database of all current state employees and individual consultants, sorted separately by name, agency, position title, current pay rate and year-to-date pay.

* State Expenditures: a database of all current state expenditures, sorted separately by agency, category, customer and representative district.

* Tax Credits: a database of all current state tax credits, sorted by tax credit category, customer and representative district.

* Sales Tax Breaks: a database of all revocations and suspensions of state occupation and use tax certificates of registration and all revocations and suspensions of state professional licenses sorted by name, geographic location and certificate of registration number or license number, as applicable. Professional license revocations and suspensions shall be posted only if resulting from a failure to pay taxes, license fees, or child support.

* State Contracts: a database of all current state contracts, sorted separately by contractor name, awarding officer or agency, contract value, and goods or services provided.