Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

New proposal prohibits names on Illinois signs
By Tamara Howard
The Daily Vidette, Illinois State U.
February 27, 2009

Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's name has been removed from signs across the state, and a recent proposal may prevent state officials from doing the same.

Amendment to House bill 286, the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act, sponsored by Rep. Elizabeth Coulson, prohibits a public service announcement of the proper name, image or voice of a state executive branch constitutional officer or legislator from being displayed on a billboard or electronic message board.

"It made me mad," Katie Rutledge, junior business major, said. "Seeing [Blagojevich's] name made me feel like he was the one making me pay for passing."

In recent reports, vocal complaints in the Chicago area over Blagojevich's name on signs for the Illinois Tollway System contributed to a House panel vote of 17-0 to restrict statewide officials from posting their names.

Although the original bill began before Blagojevich posted his name on tollway signs, he did not break any laws.

Originally, the bill stated that, "no public service announcement or advertisement that is on behalf of any state administered program and contains the proper name, image or voice of any executive branch constitutional officer or member of the General Assembly can be broadcast or aired on radio or television or printed in a commercial newspaper or a commercial magazine at any time."

The bill also states that the proper name or image of any executive branch constitutional officer or member of the General Assembly may not appear on promotional items that are not in furtherance of the person's official State duties or governmental and public service functions, if designed, paid for, prepared or distributed using public dollars.

During this time of economic caution, when people may pay close attention to how their money is being spent, the amendment to the bill has gone full force through the House of Representatives in Illinois.

First filed Jan. 22, the bill took less than a month to get passed and sent on to the Senate. As of Feb. 20, it has been referred to assignments.

"Whenever a bill is passed and referred to the second house there is a reading and then it has to be assigned to a committee," Kathy Knowles, administrative assistant to Rep. Coulson, said. "It will probably be assigned to a specific committee this week. Then it will move on from there."

Once the bill is assigned, there will be a second reading followed by a third and then put to a vote. If it passes it will be sent to Gov. Pat Quinn.

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