Just when I thought Illinois politics couldn’t get any worse than what it has been, it did. I am referring to an upcoming vote against Governor Quinn’s veto on HB 2454 which prevents citizens from petitioning voters to get advisory questions on a ballot in the future.
Last summer, there were 14 petitioners who spent 6 months collecting signatures from Kane County voters for an advisory question for the 2012 November ballot. That collection took place at the Gail Bordon and St. Charles Libraries, faires, festivals, Geneva’s French Market and the DMV in Elgin. The question asked if the voters thought the Constitution should be amended to limit all the money that is now part of our political process….thanks to the Supreme Court’s disastrous 2010 decision on Citizens United. Last November, it was ultimately passed by 74% of ALL Kane County voters who said they wanted to get rid of all this unlimited, secret and unregulated money that continues to pour into our elections and used to pay off politicians for their yes vote for favors. I believe this is still called bribery and it is the number one reason citizens have such low opinions of those we elect to speak on our behalf. The truth is, you just don’t have enough money to influence the legislators.
Kane County’s overwhelming vote in November of 2012 was followed by its passage in Springfield on May 31st, 2013 making Illinois the 14th state to pass this bill. To date, sixteen states have also passed this bill.
Citizens have the RIGHT to put an advisory question on the ballot and those who signed those petitions have the RIGHT to vote on it!
Our legislators in Springfield are about to do exactly what Citizens United has done to the all the citizens of the United States. It opened up the floodgates to unlimited and secret money coming from the wealthy and corporations to influence our elections, candidates and elected politicians! Now our state legislators are about to take away our right to initiate a bill in the future by overriding Governor Quinn’s veto of HB 2454.
For all those grateful people who signed those petitions and for all who didn’t sign but were part of the 74% who voted for it last November, I’m sorry. Call your representative and state senator and tell them to uphold the Governor’s veto!
Tags: election law, HB 2454, Illinois, Illinois General Assembly, Kane County, Pat Quinn
