August 21, 2015

To the Honorable Members of

The Illinois Senate,

99th General Assembly:

Today I veto Senate Bill 1271 from the 99th General Assembly, which would reduce competitive bidding for park, forest, and conservation district contracts.

Given Illinois’s history of corruption and insider dealing, government transparency is paramount. Competitive bidding ensures that units of local government are getting the best price for services and that taxpayer funds are being used effectively. Consequently, increasing the threshold for competitive bidding from $20,000 to $25,000 is a step in the wrong direction for government transparency and conserving taxpayer dollars.

Therefore, pursuant to Section 9(b) of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution of 1970, I hereby return Senate Bill 1271, “AN ACT concerning local government”, with the foregoing objections, vetoed in its entirety.

Sincerely,

Bruce Rauner

GOVERNOR