Illinois senators scrutinize diversity commission’s high salaries, poor performance

By Jared Strong | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) — An Illinois state senator, responding to an investigation by The Center Square, suggested Wednesday that the state’s highly paid diversity commissioners should be required to work full time in light of their poor job performances.

Sen. Chapin Rose, the Republican minority caucus whip, made the comments during a budget hearing that considered $5.6 million of funding for the Commission on Equity and Inclusion for the next fiscal year.

He cited reporting by The Center Square that has found the seven commissioners — who are each paid about $150,000 annually — have relatively lax schedules, sometimes work paid side jobs and have overseen a computer software transition that has effectively blocked more than 2,000 businesses owned by women and racial minorities from better access to government contracts.

“This really needs to be fixed, and if it means making you guys full-time employees, I think maybe that’s what needs to happen because $150,000 a year to lose 2,600 vendors, it’s just unacceptable,” Rose said.

Computer system failures

A new internet-based system the commission purchased for hundreds of thousands of dollars and activated in July 2024 led to a precipitous drop in the certifications that get certain businesses preference in government contracting. The commission had previously told lawmakers the change would streamline their efforts.

Before the switch, businesses owned by racial minorities, women and people with disabilities that gained certification with other government agencies, such as the city of Chicago, would automatically gain certification with the state.

But the new system doesn’t communicate in the same way with the systems employed by the other agencies, so the businesses must now undergo a separate certification process with the state.

The state certifications have dropped from a peak of about 5,400 to about 2,800 in recent weeks.

“We’ve lost half of our vendors, and yet you’re some of the highest paid people in the state,” Rose said.

Some of the commissioners had appeared to be unaware the problem until late last year, when it had been ongoing for more than a year, according to records of their meetings.

Those certifications are important to help the state reach its goals to pay between 20 and 30 percent of its money for contracted projects and services to businesses that have been deemed disadvantaged.

“We have made every progressive, supportive measure to make sure that vendors were aware of the change, that they were aware of instructions to update their information,” LaTasha Binder, a deputy director for the commission, told lawmakers on Wednesday.

That includes commissioners and their staff making telephone calls to businesses with lapsed certifications. Despite that and other outreach efforts, the number of certifications has been stagnant in recent months.

“While we take pride in the progress made since (the commission’s) inception, we remain dedicated to our pursuit of improvement,” Alexandria Wilson, the commission’s executive director, told lawmakers.

But none of the senators spoke favorably of those efforts.

Bipartisan concerns voiced

Elgie R. Sims Jr., the Senate Democrats’ appropriations leader, said lawmakers of both political parties expect better progress from the commission, which was formed in 2022. Lawmakers created the commission and set the salaries and requirements for the commissioners.

“I know you say we’re heading in the right direction, but I’m telling you that business owners that we are talking to are not saying that,” Sims said Wednesday. “They are not saying we’re heading in the right direction. They’re not saying that things are looking better. They’re saying, consistently, things are looking worse. Now, I know you and the team are attempting to do great work on outreach, et cetera. I’m telling you that it is not translating to businesses.”

It’s unclear when lawmakers might decide whether to fund the commission at the level it has requested or to take other action regarding the requirements for commissioners.

Representatives of the diversity commission are set to present their budget request to members of the Illinois House of Representatives on April 15.