blog

This week Illinois Governor Quinn vetoed a scholarship reform bill, arguing it doesn’t go far enough to stop lawmakers from rewarding campaign contributors and loyalists. 

Illinois has long had a program whereby lawmakers can give out up to two four-year scholarships, or a combination of smaller scholarships that add up to the same amount, to whomever they see fit.  Lawmakers often give those scholarships to campaign contributors or children of politically connected constituents.

The bill Quinn vetoed would have banned lawmakers from giving scholarships to someone whose family can be linked to a campaign contribution and would have blocked family members of a scholarship recipient from making contributions to the lawmaker responsible for the scholarship. 

Quinn argued that only a complete ban on this type of scholarship would be sufficient to stop corruption.  Under the law passed by the Illinois legislature, lawmakers could still give scholarships to children of politically connected parents, including lobbyists, campaign workers and volunteers and other allies.

More from the Chicago Tribune