State Sen. Darin LaHood (R-Dunlap) offered the following comments after Governor Bruce Rauner signed an executive order on Jan. 13 placing a one-year “revolving door” ban on state employees from engaging in lobbying activities. 

“How can 37 states be wrong, when it comes to enacting ‘revolving door’ bans? Governor Rauner deserves a lot of credit for his early common-sense initiative to prevent executive employees from leaving government then immediately lobbying the same entities that they once worked for. I am pleased that the Governor Rauner modeled his executive order after legislation that I have been advocated for,” LaHood said. “I look forward to working with the Rauner Administration as they usher in a new era of ethics, transparency and openness in state government. I will continue to advocate for sunshine at the Capitol, whether it’s the executive, legislative or judicial branches of government.” 

Rauner’s executive order was issued on January 13 and applies to the state’s executive branch. Senator LaHood has been a constant advocate for transparency since he took office in 2011. Every year since then, he’s introduced a series of ethics legislation and the current provisions are contained in Senate Bills 2260, 2261, 2262, 2263, 2264 and 2265 of the 98th General Assembly, which concludes Jan. 13.