|
Updates on activities in
Illinois Government…
The
Committee for Legislative Action (CLA) was established in 1995 with the
primary purpose of bringing sunlight to attempts to raise Fees in
Illinois. This is done by
postings on CLA's website, which is mature, comprehensive and visited by
thousands, along with sending e-mail notices and, at times, through postal
mailings.
CLA has built a network of tens of thousands of individuals who
are interested in the actions of Illinois government.
The CLA network is ALL over Illinois.
The Committee for Legislative Action is not a
partisan effort. All are welcome to participate, but to sign up one must
be an Illinois registered voter.
E-mail updates from CLA
are limited and only sent when relevant; we all get too many e-mails.
Spam is prohibited and jokes are not
forwarded.
Taxpayer dollars do not sponsor the Committee for
Legislative Action. The website development and mailings are done by
volunteers and donated contributions. The website is updated regularly.
Thank you
for your interest.
|
Dan
Rutherford
State Senator
Chairman, CLA |
The Question of Recall
Legislation
has been introduced to amend the state Constitution to allow
for Recall of an elected official, such as the Governor.
If approved by the General Assembly and, subsequently, the
state's voters, the amendment would allow the electorate to
Recall statewide officeholders, legislators and judges.
If Recall became part of the Illinois Constitution, a petition
to remove a statewide officeholder, such as the Governor, would
require 418,559 signatures. If petitioners were successful in
getting that many signatures, the Recall would then be on the
ballot.
The Committee for Legislative Action has been asked to help gauge
public support on whether Illinois voters would like to have a Recall
provision in the Illinois Constitution.
Will enough 'register' ?
CLA has accepted the charge to gauge public opinion as to how
many Illinois voters would 'register' support for Recall.
CLA will periodically update this website on the percentage that
'register' in support.
Those that 'register' in
support of Recall will be notified of the
procedure if it were to become a part of the Constitution.
How you can
participate
'Registered' for Recall
The project is underway. CLA will regularly
update the percentage that has responded. If one
'registers' and CLA has their e-mail, they will be notified
when new results are posted.
Thank You!
Thank you for your interest.
We look forward to working with you on this
important question of public policy!
Results as of 05/01/2008
|
YES have
Recall in Illinois |
|
96% |
|
|
|
NO
Recall in Illinois |
|
4% |
| |
|
|
|
YES
Recall Governor Blagojevich |
|
80% |
| |
|
NO
Recall Governor Blagojevich |
|
20% |
To follow the progress of HJRCA0028 proceed to this page.
Language of the Amendment
to the Illinois Constitution which would provide for
Recall:
SECTION 4.1. RECALL
PETITIONS; OFFICERS, MEMBERS, AND JUDGES
(a) Recall of an
executive branch officer, as identified in Section 1
of Article V, a member of the General Assembly, or a
supreme, appellate, or circuit judge is initiated by
delivering to the State Board of Elections, at least
6 months after the beginning of the officer's,
member's, or judge's current term of office, a
petition alleging reason for recall. Sufficiency of
reason is not reviewable. After the initial petition
is filed, proponents have 160 days to file signed
petitions. Petitions may be challenged as provided by
law.
(b) A petition to
recall an executive branch officer must be signed by
electors of the State equal to at least 20% of the
last vote for the office, with signatures from each
of at least 5 counties equal to at least 1% of the
last vote for the office in the county. A petition to
recall a member of the General Assembly or a supreme,
appellate, or circuit judge must be signed by
electors of the district that elected the member or
judge equal to at least 20% of the last vote for the
office.
(c) The State
Board of Elections shall maintain a continuous count
of the signatures certified to the Board.
(ILCON Art. III,
Sec. 4.2 new)
SECTION 4.2. RECALL
ELECTIONS
(a) An election to
determine whether to recall an officer, member, or
judge and, if appropriate, to elect a successor shall
be proclaimed by the State Board of Elections and
held on the first Tuesday (i) that is not less than
60 days after the date of certification of sufficient
signatures and (ii) that is the second Tuesday of the
month.
(b) If the
majority vote on the question is to recall, the
officer, member, or judge is removed and, if there is
a candidate, the candidate who receives a plurality
is the successor for the balance of the term. The
officer, member, or judge subject to recall may be a
candidate.
(ILCON Art. III,
Sec. 4.3 new)
SECTION 4.3. RECALL
ELECTIONS; LAW IMPLEMENTING
The General
Assembly, by law, shall provide for circulation,
filing, and certification of petitions, nomination of
candidates, and the recall election.
(ILCON Art. III,
Sec. 4.4 new)
SECTION 4.4. NO RECALL
If an officer,
member, or judge is not recalled, then another recall
may not be initiated against that officer, member, or
judge during the remainder of his or her current term
of office.
|
|
Another governor heading for prison?
Springfield Journal-Register
Mike Robinson
CHICAGO — The high-stakes
courtroom drama was all about politics, patronage and
payoffs. Illinoisans watched in fascination as George
Ryan, the once-mighty Republican governor, fought to
avoid a one-way ticket to federal prison but lost. And
now they wonder: Will his Democratic successor, Rod
Blagojevich, be next?
“I think the governor is
in extraordinarily big trouble,” Cindi Canary, director
of the nonpartisan, foundation-funded Illinois Campaign
for Political Reform, said last week as Blagojevich’s
problems grew.
The governor’s name has
surfaced repeatedly in the federal corruption trial of
Antoin “Tony” Rezko, the Chicago real estate developer
and fast-food tycoon who raised more than $1.6 million
for Blagojevich’s campaign fund.
|
|
Donor links governor to job scheme
In plea deal, ex-agency
chief says he bought his job by bribing Rezko and
donating to Blagojevich's campaign
Chicago Tribune
Jeff Coen and Bob Secter
Gov.
Rod Blagojevich has again been stung by
accusations that he knowingly exchanged positions in his
administration for campaign cash, this time by a former
state official who says the governor was in the room when
money changed hands.
The new corruption allegations are some of the strongest
yet leveled against Blagojevich, but they didn't come at
the trial of
Antoin "Tony" Rezko, his former fundraiser and
adviser.
Ali Ata, a former high-ranking Blagojevich administration
official, pleaded guilty Tuesday in a separate criminal
case involving Rezko. Ata admitted he bought his
$127,000-a-year state job by bribing Rezko and making
campaign contributions to Blagojevich.
|
|
Recall debate killed by grade-school antics
Daily Herald
Amber Krosel
SPRINGFIELD -- What some lawmakers referred to as
grade-school antics Wednesday likely squashed voters'
chances to choose whether they want the ability to recall
the governor and other statewide elected officials.
Amid
shushing and yelling "one at a time" -- one too many
times -- state Sen. Ira Silverstein gave up trying to
control his committee. A hearing devoted to recall
devolved into lawmakers talking over each other and
name-calling.
"We're
senators here. We're not kindergartners here," said
Silverstein, a Chicago Democrat and chairman of the
Senate Executive Committee.
|
|
Blagojevich allies stall recall-election bill
Bloomington Pantagraph
Kevin
McDermott
SPRINGFIELD
— Top Illinois Senate Democrats rode to the rescue of
beleaguered Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Wednesday, stalling a
recall-election movement that was aimed at the Democratic
governor by angry lawmakers.
The issue boiled over in a raucous two-hour Senate
committee hearing filled with competing shouts, insults
and allegations between Blagojevich’s detractors and
defenders. At issue was a recall-election bill that
passed the House last week, but now is stalled in the
Senate as a ballot filing deadline approaches.
|
|
Gubernatorial run in mix for Rutherford
Bloomington
Pantagraph
Mike Riopell
SPRINGFIELD -- State Sen. Dan Rutherford said Tuesday he is
considering the possibility of running for governor in 2010.
The Chenoa Republican has previously said he wants to run for a
statewide office, and Tuesday said he hasn't ruled out a bid for the
top spot.
|
|
Rutherford pushing for recall amendment
Marion Daily Republican
Diane Wilkins
MARION — Illinois Senator
Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, is touring the state informing
the public about efforts in the General Assembly to pass
a Recall Amendment.
Rutherford, who is Chairman of the Committee for
Legislative Action, is spearheading the effort to make
Illinois one of the states that has a provision for
recalling elected officials.
|
|
Give voters the power to 'fire' elected officials
Bloomington Pantagraph
Editorial
Board
The proposed amendment the Illinois House is expected to
act on this week could not only change the state
Constitution, it could change the face of Illinois
politics.
It could even change the person living in the Governor's
Mansion - make that working in the governor's office.
The recall amendment is not about Gov. Rod Blagojevich,
yet it is.
|
|
Emil Jones and a recall vote
Chicago Tribune
Editorial
A constitutional
amendment to let voters fire inept state officeholders
is almost halfway to the Nov. 4 general election
ballot. There appears to be strong support in the
Illinois House. Whether such an amendment is approved
for a ballot slot by the May 4 deadline rests primarily
with Senate President Emil Jones and his fellow Senate
Democrats.
For too long those Democratic senators have been
inexplicably willing to let Jones, their leader, enable
the frantic antics of Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
|
|
Blagojevich ally uses expletive in criticism of recall
amendment
Springfield Journal Register
Ryan Keith
Tensions flared Wednesday
as a top ally to Gov. Rod Blagojevich angrily used an
expletive on the House floor while condemning a plan that
would allow voters to oust the governor and other top
officials.
Verbal Fireworks part of Capitol recall debate
Daily Herald
Amber Krosel
SPRINGFIELD -- Fireworks and foul language
erupted at the state Capitol as lawmakers battled over a constitutional
amendment to allow the recall of public officials.
State Rep. Jay Hoffman angrily criticized its
necessity, even offering an obscenity over the loudspeaker system.
Recall measure, aimed at Blagojevich, clears House
Chicago Tribune
Jeffrey Meitrodt and Ray Long
SPRINGFIELD — A measure allowing voters to
dump the governor and other statewide officeholders through California-style
recall petitions advanced Wednesday in a key test vote in the House, though
its approval is far from certain.
|
|
Give the governor his recall
Chicago Tribune
Editorial
Back
in the comparatively open-government days of 2007, when
the governor of Illinois occasionally deigned to answer
questions instead of running away from them, Rod
Blagojevich said he favored adding a recall provision to
the state constitution.
Blagojevich was correct in acknowledging that citizens of
this state don't have adequate means to terminate an
officeholder who can't, or won't, do his job. He was
correct in his opinion that Illinois should join the 18
states that give frustrated voters—as opposed to
lawmakers acting in impeachment proceedings—the power to
remove inept politicians from office.
|
|
Bill would allow recall of
Illinois officials
Elgin Courier News
David Gialanella
ELGIN -- One Illinois
senator calls it "buyer's remorse."
Whatever it's called,
electing the wrong person makes some wish their
government came with a return policy. If a proposed
amendment to the Illinois Constitution comes to fruition,
voters soon will have the right to change their minds
about executive, legislative and judicial officers.
|
|
Legislators eye recall proposal
Edwardsville
Intelligencer
Steve Horrell
When California voters
ousted Democratic Gov. Gray Davis four years ago in a
recall election, it was the state's first successful
gubernatorial recall election and only the second in U.S.
history.
Illinois is not one of
the 15 states that permits recall elections, but
legislation that recently passed the state House of
Representatives and will soon reach the Senate would give
voters the option of gathering signatures to recall an
elected state official.
|
|
Blagojevich's No. 2 backs recall option for Illinois
Daily Pantagraph
Kenneth Lowe
Many legislators have expressed a
desire to provide a system of recalls solely for the
purpose of ousting Blagojevich, including State Sen.
Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, who has provided information
on the recall amendment proposal to voters.
|
 |
 |
|
Governor Rod Blagojevich |
Tony Rezko |
Chicago Tribune
Bob
Secter and Ray Long
"Illinois has a rich and
infamous history of political corruption trials, but the
trajectory of the case against
Antoin "Tony" Rezko
-- a chief fundraiser for Gov.
Rod Blagojevich --
may be without parallel.
Perhaps never before has a sitting Illinois governor become so
enmeshed in a criminal proceeding of such breadth."
This is the lead of
the story. There is so much happening in the media about
Governor Blagojevich. CLA will post articles, but one may wish
to visit
the Chicago
Tribune. They have a web page dedicated to updates on the
Governor and the Tony Rezko trial. You can visit the page at:
Chicago Tribune
|
Judge
reveals Blagojevich is 'Public Official A'
Rezko
allegedly sought donations for Governor
 Chicago
Tribune
Jeff Coen, Bob
Secter, and John Chase
Laying to rest the latest parlor game of
Illinois
politics, a federal judge on Monday made it crystal clear that
"A" stands for
Rod Blagojevich
in the public corruption case against the governor's indicted
fundraiser, Antoin "Tony" Rezko (pictured at left).
A ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Amy St. Eve dispensed
with an array of pseudonyms that had cloaked the identities of
several people who allegedly benefited from Rezko's financial
schemes, including Blagojevich. He had previously been referred
to in court documents only as Public Official A.
|
|
Give Illinois voters power to recall elected officials
Daily
Pantagraph
By the
Pantagraph Editorial Board
Illinois should join the other 18 states that allow their
citizens to recall politicians. The controversy and
frustration swirling around Gov. Rod Blagojevich are not
the reason Illinois needs a recall provision added to its
Constitution. But his actions - or inaction - certainly
are fueling the call for recall.
|
|
Impeachment process
not to be taken lightly
A Guest Column by
State
Senator Dan Rutherford
As overtime session of the Illinois Legislature continues through the summer
with no end to the budget stalemate in sight, frustrations have reached an
all-time high at the State Capitol, throughout government and around the
State. Amidst the debating, negotiating and overall lack of progress on a
spending plan for Illinois, some citizens have begun to question the
leadership of the State and have openly considered the impeachment of Gov.
Rod Blagojevich.
|
|
Below is contact information for your state elected
officials. Please let them know your thoughts on the
Recall provision.
************************************
|
|
(This website development and hosting is not paid for at taxpayers'
expense; it is financially supported by voluntary contributions from
concerned residents of Illinois. If you would like to contribute please
click here!)
|
SPRINGFIELD
-- Gov. Rod Blagojevich said Tuesday it's "ridiculous" to
suggest he might owe taxes for personal use of state aircraft.
