State Senator Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry), who signed on as a Chief Co-Sponsor of legislation that he says enshrines the practice of “merit-based hiring” in the State of Illinois, expressed his gratitude Thursday when House Bill 1586 received a unanimous vote in the Illinois Senate.
“The Democrat sponsor of HB 1586 claimed her bill was an attempt to ‘Trump-proof’ hiring practices in Illinois, but as I read the bill, I believe it does quite the opposite,” said Wilcox. “The Pendleton Act of 1883 is a nearly century-and-a-half-old law that formally established a merit-based system for federal employment and ended the spoils system where political parties rewarded their supporters with government jobs. I commend the bill sponsor of HB 1586 for taking similar steps for the State of Illinois.”
Specifically, HB 1586 states that if changes occur at the federal level that affect the administration of major federal programs in Illinois, programs must continue to be conducted by employees according to Illinois’ Personnel Code. The bill also states that programs must be subject to a merit-based hiring system.
According to Wilcox, efforts to enshrine merit-based hiring practices in Illinois align with President Donald Trump’s April 23 Executive Order, Restoring Equality of Opportunity & Meritocracy. The Order proclaims that it is a “bedrock principle of the United States that all citizens are treated equally under the law,” and that the principle “guarantees equality of opportunity, not equal outcomes.” It further promises that “people are treated as individuals, not components of a particular race or group,” and “encourages meritocracy and a colorblind society, not race- or sex-based favoritism.”
Wilcox continued, “I support efforts to prevent extreme actions within any level of government, but I believe this bill does more to cement merit-based hiring than prevent any perceived problems members of the majority party believe may occur down the road. I was glad to sign on as the Leading Republican on this bill and believe strongly that enshrining merit-based hiring practices helps to establish a more professional, qualified, and stable public workforce.”
HB 1586 is now headed to the Governor for final action.