An Illinois House committee this week approved a bill that would greatly increase the number of petition signatures a candidate has to collect to get on the ballot. And if a registered voter signed petitions for two or more candidates, the signatures wouldn't count. Bottom line: Less competition! How nice for the incumbents." Read the whole thing here.
The reader who brought this to our attention says, "Would love to get opinions from Harris and Steans on this."
WHAT BS.
ReplyDeleteGreg Harris(greg@gregharris.org)
ReplyDeleteDrop Greg an email.
Has voting happened? Is this something that we could e-mail Steans/Harris about?
ReplyDeleteJust Got Steans' "Springfield Update" e-mail and at the end it reads: "If there is a bill that you want passed or that concerns you, please let me know - I very much appreciate hearing from constituents who would be impacted by a piece of legislation to better understand the implications of it."
ReplyDeletehsteans@senatedem.ilga.gov
or
info@heathersteans.com
If you can, give them a call instead of emailing; it has far more impact and only takes a minute. You can leave your policy message with the office person who picks up:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.senatorsteans.com/contact-us/
http://www.gregharris.org/Contact.html
While you're at it, I'd also suggest supporting the amendment to remove the Lieutenant Governor's office and, for Steans, removing Blago's free ride for seniors that just passed the house.
Heather Steans was in her district office before 8:00 this morning. I don't know if she is still there but its probably worth a call.
ReplyDeleteI need dress up like a clown, get me a go kart, and run over Rep. Joe Lyons.(Note to literalists, I don't own a clown suit or go kart so Lyons is safe)
ReplyDeleteThat is truly a horrid proposal.
What machine candidates would do is try to go all "Bounty towel" with signatures and soak up as many as possible.
If Greggy or Heather vote for this, if it comes up for a vote, then they better listen carefully for small engine motors sounds in the distance.
What the hell is wrong with Illinois? Are the powers that be trying to get rid of a democracy in our state? This is not political reform in a positive manner.Obviously or corrupt politicians do not want competition, they want to reign supreme and do as they please (dictatorship anyone?).
ReplyDeleteIP,
ReplyDeleteThat was pretty funny. I want to party with you....
All this does is create more voter outrage!
This is going to backfire on them.
Big time.
I am totally "Over-UUing" today, but this what I do on vacation I guess.
ReplyDeleteFurther research has led me to believe that this won't be going anywhere, there are major state and federal constitutional issues with this.
But here is this guys info, call him and give him a piece of your mind.
http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?MemberID=936
"Lyons' proposal was approved 5-4 Tuesday by an Illinois House committee, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans opposing."
ReplyDeleteGot your box scores in hand?
Yays
Elaine Nekritz
John D'Amico
Mike Boland
Naomi Jakobsson
Deborah Mell
The bill probably dies. Unless Madigan has a death wish.
It's House Bill 6000. Most bills die with little more than being read and then voted out of committee.
The bill is designed to kill any chances that reformers like Waguespack have of making it on a ballot.
Has anyone forwarded to the Sun Times or the Tribune?
ReplyDeleteSeems like major new news coverage.
I am all for seeing Shiller out of office. My question is: What would a new Alderman be able to do to help the neighborhood? Bringing business would be a huge help, but can they have an effect on the gangs? Can they start to close some of the million social service organizations? In reality the people who contribute nothing to society are the biggest drag on the neighborhood and I'm just not sure how you get rid of them. Getting businesses in the vacant buildings would be a start!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't really a major story. Most House Bills never go anywhere.
ReplyDeleteThis story is just a good example to pummel incumbent Democrats. It's awful timing too. Anti-incumbent fever is a tidal wave across the entire nation. "Throw all the bums out" is practically our national anthem right now.
However, Lyons is an old Machine loyalist. He knows what his bill does.
I don’t have any problem with a uniform signature requirement for any elected office. And I don’t have a problem with the fact that this bill would make the Aldermanic minimum match that of a State Representative. The problem lies in the rinky-dink add-ons like no caps, no crossovers and the slated or incumbent sport of squashing petitions.
ReplyDeleteDon’t get me wrong, there are legitimate reasons for challenging a petition but in Illinois, ballot access challenges are more often used as a substitute for an election. Credible, qualified candidates are frequently disqualified because favored friends and lawyers prevail at the Illinois State Board of Elections (ISBE) and most new candidates simply do not have the means to both run a race and defend a ballot access challenge.
This subject has been in the news and before the Board a lot lately. This cycle I worked for two candidates who filed an important ISBE challenge. Read more about what happened:
Complaint Strikes at the Heart of Pay-to-Play
Candidates vs. The Board—Part 1
Candidates Vs. The Board—Part 2
Candidates Vs. The Board—Part 3, Fox News
Candidates Vs. The Board—Part 4, Fox News
*Can they start to close some of the million social service organizations?*
ReplyDeleteProbably not.
ReplyDeleteWhat would a new Alderman be able to do to help the neighborhood? Bringing business would be a huge help, but can they have an effect on the gangs? Can they start to close some of the million social service organizations?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your last two questions is "probably not." But the answer to the first question is that a new alderman *may* be able to walk the catwalk between the haves and have-nots without tripping, performing admirably for both.
That's what good politicians do. ;-)
Deborah Mell. Her father is a crooked alderman. Her brother- inlaw is Blogo. She was the only vote to not impeach Blogo.
ReplyDeleteJohn D'mico has one foot in Chicago politics the other one in the underworld and hand-in-hand with da mare.
BuenaPk, None of those individuals would be as powerful as they are today had they not written and then leveraged rinky-dink election law loopholes to their advantage.
ReplyDeleteThink about it, let's say I donate $200 to a campaign. That has to be reported as a contribution. You donate your time to create a website, or design the mail. That has to be counted as an in-kind contribution. Potential voters can look up a campaign's report and see who's donating what.
But incumbents receive tens of thousands of dollars in staff support and the legal services of Mike Kasper--and none of them report it. That means you never get to see who is contributing some of the biggest, most influential dollars. That means we as voters often conflate an incumbents strength with the Speakers money.
Btw, challengers typically take a plain reading of the statute and report what they spend on legal fees defending these ballot access challenges.
Brennan,
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you get your information but I did not vote for this in committee and I will not vote for it on the floor.
Deborah Mell
House panel backs tougher signature requirements for Chicago aldermanic races
ReplyDeleteCandidates would need 500 voter signatures under proposal by state Rep. Joseph Lyons
By Hal Dardick and Michelle Manchir, Tribune reporters, February 25, 2010
"Lyons' proposal was approved 5-4 Tuesday by an Illinois House committee, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans opposing."
Representative Mell: My source is the Illinois State Assembly website.
ReplyDeleteNote the actions on February 23, 2010.
Do Pass / Standard Debate Elections & Campaign Reform Committee; 005-004-000
Brennan,
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately due to illness I was not in Springfield last week.
Although I could not vote against it in committee I will not vote for it on the floor.
I wish our site had better information on committee votes.
Best,
Deborah Mell
Thank you Rep. Mell. We look forward to your vote.
ReplyDeleteRepresentative Mell: How could the committee have recorded a yes vote for you if you were not in Springfield to vote?
ReplyDeleteIf you were not there, the vote would be 4-4 and this bill would be all but dead for good.
Brennan,
ReplyDeleteThey put subs in when members aren't able to go to committee. If you look at the roll call the sub voted not me.
Best,
Deb
That's convenient.
ReplyDeleteSorta like the US Senate Dems. You can vote for cloture, where you need 60 votes, then you can vote against the bill that's going to pass with 50+1 anyway. Then you tell your constituents "Hey, I didn't vote for this. It was those other guys who passed the bill".
I wish our site had better information on committee votes.
I wish we had better politicians.
Thanks for the reply.
ReplyDelete"They put subs in when members aren't able to go to committee."
Who is they? Who puts in subs? The committee chair? Your caucus? House leadership?
"They" put in a "sub" with no regard to your positions on the matters before your committee that day?
You did not ask Rep. Lyons to sub for you? You were not asked if Rep. Lyons may sub for you?
This is SOP in the IL House?
Isn't that an amazing co-incident that the sponsor of the Chicago Incumbent Alderman Protection Act of 2010 manages to get a voting seat on the Elections & Campaign Reform Committee of the Illinois House on the very day his matter comes before the committee?
As citizens of Illinois we are due an agenda for last Tuesday's meeting 24 hours in advance, a week ago Friday. As a member of the committee, did you or your office get an agenda for the meeting last Friday? Did you know this matter was coming up? Lyons was there, somehow he knew it was up.
Was a head cold easier than breaking rank on this vote? Was it suggested to you you might want to have the sniffles on Tuesday?
Rep. Mell called back.
ReplyDeleteI apologize for the insinuation of blue flu, that was over the line.
She confirmed substitutions and "friendly substitutions" are SOP in Springfield, but denied this was a "friendly substitution."
She confirmed reps get advanced notice of the day a matter comes before committee, it's on the ilga.gov website, we can see that, too.
She confirmed all substitutions must be approved in writing by Madigan's office.
She said she called in sick Tuesday morning, giving Lyons, who has a party leadership role, Majority Conference Chair, time to get his letter.
Open issues from my point of view:
1. The tail end of this thread could have been avoided if the GA would post committee votes.
2. Controlling subs is too much power in the leadership and disempowers rank & file members.
If you look at the roll call the sub voted not me.
ReplyDeleteAnd this acceptable to you .. how?
If my understanding of how a republic operates is accurate, citizens of a district are supposed to be represented by the person they'd elected to do so.
Not by unelected (and seemingly randomly selected) substitutes - who are, according to you, not voting according to your interests.
As for the Illinois legislature providing better information on their site to the people of the state ..., AMEN!
However, there's a monstrous difference between wishing for it to happen, and taking proactive steps to that effect.
No personal offense intended, and (if this is the real Deb Mell), much appreciation for engaging in dialog, but if my faith in how the Illinois legislature operates could drop any lower, it just did.
Hugh, thanks for the update and the ID confirmation.
ReplyDeleteAnd, props to Deb for contacting you for clarification.
My faith in the IL-LEG process, though .. remains unchanged.
Thanks to Deb, again, for engaging.
My comment still stands.
ReplyDeleteOK. People get sick and miss work. It happens.
But the machine has the game rigged, and the bottom line is that this vote stinks to high heaven. Ms. Mell had an opportunity to do something about it and she didn't.
I would have volunteered to drive her to Springfield. I would have made her some chicken soup that she could have eaten in the car. I would have even taken out the middle and rear seats on the minivan, put a nice air mattress, pillow, and a warm comforter in the back, and she could have slept the entire way, saving her energy so that she could make that vote.
Pop a couple of Sudafed in on the way down... I would have even wheeled her in in a wheelchair so that she could say "Nay".
I guess she just didn't have sufficient motivation, being sick and all. It's understandable. I feel that way too sometimes, too.
But thanks for engaging, Ms. Mell.
U-R,
ReplyDeletesick is sick - and, really, who wants to drive to Springfield, if they don't have to?
;)
The issue I have is not with using a "sub" as much as it is the fact that there's a very real threat of having a "sub" vote not (and in this case, did not) reflect the desire of the person who's actually been "elected" to that position.
Granted, as Deb points out, she won't vote for this on the floor; but, how many times has a sub voted against the wishes of the person for whom they're substituting?
And how many bills made it to a floor vote that might not have cleared committee?
This can not be the only time that this has happened.
The idea that the representation of the people is so easily co-opt'ed (or, better put: sacrificed) in this manner (be it in committee or on the floor) is an alarming declaration of dereliction of duty on the part of those who have been "elected" to represent the people of this state.
Even moreso alarming is how easily Deb accepted her vote being co-opt'ed.
With all due respect, Ms. Mell, but the fact that you aren't screaming for that sub's a** doesn't reflect well upon you.
If this is considered SOP in Springfield, then that gaping $13B hole makes a LOT more sense.
Short version: this may very well be an example of government at it's detestable worst.
If any legislator fails to ethically and vehemently represent the people and protect the public trust, they should at worst be sent home.
At best, sent to prison.
And, how odd it is that a bill seemingly stealing power from the people is being walked through the House by its sponsor?
This is Illinois, so that's not odd, at all.
"Ms. Mell had an opportunity to do something about it and she didn't. I would have volunteered to drive her to Springfield."
ReplyDeleteA generous offer, but something far simpler would have sufficed:
Questioned about this substitution process, my Rep. explained to me that a committee member may ask NOT to be substituted for, and recorded as absent. If they don't go out of their way to do so, they in effect turn their most precious duty over to their caucus leadership. If Mell had been recorded as absent last Tuesday, the bill would have failed to achieve do pass on a 4-4 tie and with plenty of fluids & bed rest god willing she could have recovered in time to speak to the bill and express her will.
For me letting ANYONE vote for you, even delegating to your own party leadership, is a fundamental abrogation of your duty to your constituents. You can't cast yourself as an independent while occasionally turning your vote over to the powers that be.
"And how many bills made it to a floor vote that might not have cleared committee? This can not be the only time that this has happened."
ReplyDeleteFrom conversation with Mell & Lang & their assistants this substitution game is very common. If the committee votes were on the website the citizens of Illinois could see how often the committee memberships are jiggered on the fly by the party leadership to enhance the efficiency of the committee system.
Hugh,
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that Rep Mell has had her eyes opened to this situation and will be vigorously working towards the publishing of committee votes on the website, as well.
Thanks for the legwork, buddy - highly enlightening.
"This isn't really a major story. Most House Bills never go anywhere."
ReplyDeleteI told my rep Lang who is also in House Dem leadership that everyone I talk to about this bill tells me don't worry about it, it's going nowhere.
Lang responded "I would not assume this bill is not going anywhere" and went on to defend it. The Dem House leadership is behind this. I would urge my good neighbors to contact their reps and express your opposition.
...there's a very real threat of having a "sub" vote not (and in this case, did not) reflect the desire of the person who's actually been "elected" to that position.
ReplyDeleteLang doesn't see it that way. I asked him how could he turn his most important responsibility his vote over to someone else? He said "He [the substitute] isn't voting for me. They're voting for themselves."
"And how many bills made it to a floor vote that might not have cleared committee? This can not be the only time that this has happened."
ReplyDeleteOut sick is only a very minor reason for the sub game. The Illinois House has 38 committees and 118 reps. Most reps are on many committees. When they are in session there can be 6-8 committee meetings at the same time. So the absences are intentional. This suits leadership because they can play musical chairs. It's a numbers game for them. If you talk to your rep about the sub game you might hear them defend it citing the need to assemble a quorum to do the people's business, but the sub game has more to do with propping up partisan majorities. It doesn't matter who's on what committee, all that matters is the D vs. R count. It's not Mell's seat or Lyon's seat, they're all Madigan's seats. If you visit a committee meeting, it's not uncommon that everyone will be made to sit and wait for delivery of a sub letter from a leader's office. It's like getting the principal to sign an admit slip.
...there's a very real threat of having a "sub" vote not (and in this case, did not) reflect the desire of the person who's actually been "elected" to that position.
ReplyDeletefrom the point of view of the leadership, a rep has no god-given right to a seat in committee, your committee service is at the pleasure of the leadership
They're voting for themselves.
ReplyDeleteOr, in the case of this bill ..., they vote for themselves, under the name of the person for whom they're substituting (Mell).
Further muddying the process and taking major strides away from transparency.
And, it doesn't appear that Deb was aware of how her vote went.
*sigh*
Again, Hugh .., big thanks for the insight.
I'm not sure I could have spent that much time listening to these cretins rationalize how they're usurping the political process for their own gain (at the expense of the people of IL) without blowing some seriously massive chunks.
This system is revolting.
And, since the IL-LEG is creatively inept, they do allow us to quantify their idiocy, and corruption:
$13,000,000,000
I may not agree with Deb Mell but I must give her a big OORAH for going on line and answering us.
ReplyDelete