SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — An Elgin Senator says needless bureaucratic hurdles are slowing ethics investigations and need to be removed.

Democratic Senator Cristina Castro said in filing legislation to streamline the process that the state has a skilled investigator on the job but she needs to be empowered to do  her job and deliver results quickly.

Castro, the newest member of the Legislative Ethics Commission says the problem with the current system is that when an ethics complaint is filed regarding lawmakers or legislative employees, the Legislative Inspector General cannot review the complaint until it first goes to the Ethics Commission and is approved for an investigation.

According to Castro, this bureaucratic step can delay the start of investigation by weeks if not months.

Castro’s proposal simply removes the hurdle and gives the inspector general the authority to begin reviewing cases as they are filed.

She says the unnecessary step is only delaying the inspector general from doing her job and getting rid of that step will speed up the process and deliver faster results, which is what the public wants and expects.

Castro notes it’s important to make it as easy as possible for the inspector General to get to work as soon as possible on time-sensitive issues.