SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CN) - Gov. Pat Quinn wants to give the public the power to enact ethics reforms without going through the Legislature, through a constitutional change he calls the "Lincoln Amendment."
Quinn's amendment would let Illinois voters put new ethics laws on the ballot for a statewide vote. They could apply to any branch of state or local government and address issues such as legislative conflicts of interest, pay-to-play abuses and campaign funding.
"There is no greater force than everyday people banding together for a cause they believe in," Quinn Told the Associated Press on Abraham Lincoln's 203rd birthday. "Our citizens must always have a role in keeping our government honest and ethical."
Quinn's proposal could be on the ballot in November, if endorsed by lawmakers.
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