SPRINGFIELD - Proposals aimed at cleaning up Illinois government come with a price tag at a time when the state is struggling to pay its bills.

Dan White, director of the Illinois State Board of Elections, said Monday analysts in his office are reviewing preliminary drafts of Gov. Pat Quinn's ethics reform proposals to determine how much they will cost to implement.

Although he had no dollar estimates yet, White said there likely will be additional costs associated with the governor's push to launch public financing of judicial elections.

In addition, the changes could result in a need for more employees at the agency to monitor tougher campaign finance rules.

"These are all new duties for us," White said.

The corruption-busting proposals are the product of a report compiled by a commission appointed by Quinn last year. Drafts of the legislation are being reviewed by lawmakers and agencies affected by the proposed changes.

Some say it's too early to assess whether some reform proposals need to be pared down or delayed because of the state's budget woes.

A 2005 review found that public financing of judicial elections would cost at least an additional $150,000 to administer - a figure that doesn't count the actual cost of helping fund the campaigns of judge candidates. Those dollars could come from voluntary contributions from the public, added court fees and other sources.

Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Republicans in the Senate, said given the corruption of the recent past, residents may be more willing to foot the bill for clean government.

"I'd say right now Illinois is paying a pretty high price for corruption," Schuh said.

Lawmakers are working toward a May 31 deadline to finish their work for the spring. Typically, they wait until the final week to approve major legislation, such as a budget or ethics reform.

That timetable could be problematic for ethics reform initiatives. For example, if the General Assembly approves a last-minute package of changes to state election law, it's not clear whether they will also be able to assess how much it will cost to implement the changes.

That could leave the state with new anti-corruption laws on its books, but not enough money to initially administer them.

"That's a problem," White acknowledged Monday. "Realistically, it will be difficult."