* September 19th press release…
The migrant population is growing exponentially in Illinois creating concerns about election integrity which is why State Representative Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) has introduced legislation aimed at discouraging noncitizens from registering and voting in elections.
House Bill 5875 makes it a Class 4 felony for any person who is not a citizen of the United States to knowingly register to vote in an election including municipal elections and anyone who knowingly registers a person to vote who is not a citizen of the United States would also face a Class 4 felony charge.
“It is already illegal for noncitizens to vote. This legislation puts real teeth in the effort to prevent non-citizen registration and as importantly to prevent unscrupulous campaign activists from attempting to register non-citizens,” Caulkins said. “There needs to be real consequences for non-citizens who illegally register to vote and for anyone registering non-citizens to vote. We must get serious about voter integrity, and that is exactly what House Bill 5875 will accomplish.”
* Same day in Center Square…
Caulkins said he will be amending the bill to strike out language that says, “knowingly votes in an election,” which is already covered in the federal law.
* Caulkins’ statement about striking out the voting language because it was already covered under federal law did not deter fellow Eastern Bloc member Rep. Adam Niemerg from saying this in a press release five days later…
State Representative Adam Niemerg (R-Teutopolis) says the best way to prevent noncitizens from voting is to take steps to ensure they are not registered to vote in the first place.
Niemerg is chief co-sponsor of House Bill 5875, which makes it a Class 4 felony for any person who is not a citizen of the United States to knowingly register to vote in an election including municipal elections and anyone who knowingly registers a person to vote who is not a citizen of the United States would also face a Class 4 felony charge.
“We must protect the integrity of our elections,” Niemerg said. “There are rules in place for people to lawfully become citizens of our country if they so desire. Allowing people to skip the line and get registered to vote is not fair to those who have immigrated to our country legally and it is certainly not fair to natural born citizens either. Voting should be one citizen; one vote.”
* But Matt Dietrich, a spokesperson with the Illinois State Board of Elections, told WGLT that the rest of Caulkins’ bill is also already covered under federal law…
“If they are knowingly out there trying to sign someone up [to vote] and if they knowingly encourage this person to commit voter fraud, which is knowing they are not a U.S. citizen, is committing a federal crime,” [Dietrich] said
*Hard sigh*
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about Rep. Caulkins’ bill today in Chicago…
That’s a stunt. It is already illegal to vote if you are a non-citizen, so you can’t register to vote without ID, and you can’t vote if you are a non-citizen. So that’s just a stunt. That’s something leading into the November election they’d like to raise, but we have no signs that there are people that are voting, or have been over any of the last bunch of elections in Illinois who are non citizens.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 12:54 pm:
That’s a stunt. Yes. It’s a stunt - which is all the MAGA GOP has nowadays.
- illini - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:03 pm:
It should be obvious by now that stunts are the newly accepted way for Republicans to govern. Diligent research, thoughtful discussion and relevant consideration have no part in their plans. Just shoot from the hips and satisfy the rest of the Cult.
- TJ - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:09 pm:
Stunts are the only thing that the GOP has left in 2024.
- Lincoln Lad - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:25 pm:
Constituents need to wake up. If you want stunts, go to the circus. If you want a meaningful voice, vote for serious people. Stop electing carnival barkers and think they make a meaningful impact.
- Dotnonymous x - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:38 pm:
Do Americans prefer Stuntmen over Statesmen?…time will tell.
- Friendly Bob Adams - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:45 pm:
What I think is interesting about these stunts is that anyone who would believe them is already voting Republican. There’s no effort to convince anyone not already on their team.
- H-W - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:46 pm:
“Stunt” is the wrong word. Stunt sounds like a joke or a distraction.
What Caulkins and Niemerg are doing involves the intentional creation of hate, and the advocacy of racial profiling against people who have not done what is falsely being claimed.
“Stunt” is a way of white-washing what they are really doing, which is racial profiling.
- Harry - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 1:54 pm:
The dog whistles are out as usual with the eastern bloc-heads.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 2:16 pm:
This is all about laying the groundwork to argue that the upcoming election was stolen. It’s purely theatrical.
- Sir Reel - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 2:47 pm:
Friendly Bob, they know they’re preaching to the choir. This excites the base in their districts who’ll vote for them in the primary. They get to keep their high paying (for their districts) do nothing jobs. Great gig if you can get it.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 3:08 pm:
=== This excites the base in their districts who’ll vote for them in the primary===
It’s more than that.
- Demoralized - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 3:32 pm:
I think what really disturbs me the most about things like this is the number of people who believe the things that people like this say. And on top of that the absolute hatred the Republic Party pushes towards immigrants (legal or otherwise) when they do crap like this. I don’t know what happened to the Republican Party to turn them into a party of lunatics and people on the fringe of politics but it’s just sad. I really have no respect for a lot of Republicans.
- Robert - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 3:44 pm:
====I don’t know what happened to the Republican Party to turn them into a party of lunatics====
Trump liberated them, allowing them to openly express their hate and bigotry in public with no consequence and they love him for it.
- Steve - Wednesday, Sep 25, 24 @ 3:49 pm:
-And on top of that the absolute hatred the Republic Party pushes towards immigrants-
The GOP was behind the 1924 Immigration Act. So, it’s been part of their belief system for a long time.