Current Legal Events: The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Poll on Ethics and Reform

WBEZ is reporting that the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University  has released data (.pdf) showing that Illinois is ready for a variety of political reforms. At Chicago Appleseed, we work to promote fairness and openness in elections and campaign financing—particularly judicial elections. We were, therefore, interested to see that while 56% of people surveyed for the study believe that U.S. elections are honest, only 50.4% expressed the same confidence in state and local elections. Campaign finance reform and disclosure, therefore, was considered “very important” or “important” by a majority of respondents.

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is hosting a symposium today and tomorrow in Chicago on Ethics and Reform. Many of the participants represent groups we have worked with quite successfully in the past.  In Carterville, Illinois, the Southern Illinoisan is sponsoring a Community Leader Breakfast on October 16 to discuss the poll and how ethics reform improves public confidence.