PEORIA – A bill that ends a long-running practice of Illinois governors hiding many of their staff members’ salaries in other department’s budgets became law this week.

Nearly 60 percent of employees currently working for the governor’s office are paid through the payrolls of state agencies with funds intended for priorities such as economic development, public safety and child protection, rather than directly through the budget of the governor’s office.

State Senator Dave Koehler (D-Peoria) supported The Truth in Hiring Act in order to end the practice of “offshoring” governor staff salaries.

The new law mandates that every employee who works in the governor’s office will be paid from the governor’s payroll. In doing so, it will prohibit governors from adding to staff without an honest accounting of the office’s budget.

“The people of Illinois have a right to know how much money is being spent on the governor’s office, who the employees are and what they are hired to do,” Koehler said. “It’s past time to end deceptive accounting practices and start committing to sound, fair and open business practices in our state.”

House Bill 5121 goes into effect immediately.