CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLISHER



Five leaders will gather
to talk about shifts in state politics

by Ed Wojcicki

It should be interesting. To help Illinois Issues observe its 25th anniversary, three former Illinois governors and two former state Senate presidents are getting together May 1 in Chicago to talk about changes in Illinois politics. Committed to attending are former Govs. Jim Edgar, James Thompson and William Stratton as well as former Senate Presidents Philip Rock and William Harris.

I am grateful that these five leaders accepted the magazine's request to talk politics. Each can tell stories of accomplishments and disappointments. Their interaction with each other, with moderator Bruce DuMont and with the audience should prove to be enlightening.

I also am eager to hear their perspectives on changes in the dynamics of Illinois politics and whether our system of governance has gotten better or worse for the people of Illinois.

This will be a public event, starting with a lunch at the Union League Club of Chicago. The program will follow lunch, and you can buy a ticket for $60. You can also buy a table of eight for $450. An order form is on page 15 of this magazine. We thought this would be a great program for our readers, who we know are politically engaged and deeply interested in Illinois government and politics.

Seating is limited, so I encourage you to get your reservation in early. (see May 1st Event).

With the Illinois primary election coming up March 21, I find it especially noteworthy that you can get access to campaign finance information more easily than ever. The State Board of Elections has developed a "state-of-the-art campaign disclosure Web site that provides up-to-the-minute campaign reports on the Internet," says agency Executive Director Ron Michaelson.

The site is the result of new laws that require most state candidates to file campaign reports electronically and the state board to make the information available on the Internet (see www.elections.state.il.us).

For following through so well, the board received a "Digital Sunlight Award" last December from the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation. "Illinois has come a long way in a short time," the California group said. "Today, Illinois ranks number one for its digital disclosure efforts. [The Web site] is very comprehensive and includes information on all state and local races with a high level of detail."

The elections board and Michaelson's staff deserve considerable credit for developing this user-friendly site. 

Illinois Issues March 2000 / 3