SPRINGFIELD - A proposal that could shed more light on corruption within state government will not come before lawmakers until after the November election.

Against the backdrop of a federal investigation into allegedly corrupt hiring practices within the Blagojevich administration, state Sen. Susan Garrett, D-Lake Forest, said she wants to change state law in order to strip the veil of secrecy off certain corruption investigations.

"I think the time has come," said Garrett, who was an architect of the 2003 law that created special state inspectors who are empowered to root out corruption.

But, as the issue of corruption begins to loom large in the battle between Democrat Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his Republican challenger, state Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, the change will likely not occur until lawmakers return after the Nov. 7 election.

At issue is a provision in the state ethics law that bars most public disclosure of ethics investigations and their results.

Blagojevich, whose administration has been battered by allegations of cronyism within state hiring, said Tuesday that he would consider making changes to the ethics law in order to supply the public with more information about the investigations.

His pronouncement comes in the wake of the release of a confidential report by the Chicago Tribune showing that the governor's former inspector general, Zaldwaynaka "Z." Scott, determined that the governor's office exercised an inappropriate amount of control over hiring within the Illinois Department of Employment Security.

In January, Garrett and state Sen. Kirk Dillard, R-Hinsdale, co-sponsored a change to the law that would make reports by the inspector general's more open to the public.

The proposal went nowhere last spring, but Garrett said the governor's newfound support for the change could put the legislation on the front burner when lawmakers return in November.

"I'd be really surprised if this didn't go forward," said Garrett.

"Clearly, when there is a problem and it's been verified, it should be made public. This is common sense at this point."