Two days into his administration, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner had signed two executive orders concerning spending and employment in the state.
Immediately following his inauguration Monday, January 12, 2015, Rauner signed his first executive order calling for all state departments to immediately sell surplus property, freeze hiring and halt non-essential spending.
The next day, Rauner signed an executive order “Which tightens ethical requirements for all state employees to ensure they adhere to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and impartiality while working for the people of Illinois,” according to a statement on the Governor’s website.
Executive Order 15-09 requires state agencies to have all employment contracts reviewed, to identify potentially “political, wasteful or other improper purposes,” the statement said.
The order tightens other rules regarding state employees or their family members owning interest in property occupied or leased by the state, and rules regarding state workers and their family members accepting non-governmental positions or gifts from prohibited sources.
The order also bans state employees from negotiating for a new position with a lobbyist or lobbying entity while employed by the State of Illinois. It also restricts former state employees from accepting positions as paid lobbyists or with a lobbying group for a year after leaving state employment.