A federal appeals court ruling today makes it more likely that Illinois voters on Nov. 2 will decide on an interim U.S. senator who will serve just a few weeks in office, while also voting on a U.S. senator for a full six-year term that begins in January. […]
The court ruled that state election laws and timetables regarding special primary elections had to give way to the federal Constitution and that a federal court judge could order the state to disregard existing election laws.
The ruling effectively means that voters could see two U.S. Senate contests on the general election ballot: one to elect a senator to serve from Nov. 3 to Jan. 3 and one to elect a senator to serve from Jan. 3 for six years.
The district court has the power to order the state to take steps to bring its election procedures into compliance with rights guaranteed by the federal Constitution, even if the order requires the state to disregard provisions of state law that otherwise might ordinarily apply to cause delay or prevent action entirely. It is elementary that the Seventeenth Amendment’s requirement that a state governor issue a writ of election to guarantee that a vacancy in the state’s senate delegation is filled by an election is an aspect of the supreme law of the land.
How that means Illinois can get around the question of whether holding a primary is required or not isn’t addressed.
* In other campaign news, the governor has been fond of saying recently that he’s focused on governing now and will get to campaigning eventually.
As they say, good governing is good politics, but sometimes things go awry…
Gov. Pat Quinn announced more than $500 million in funding for mass transit projects during a rowdy morning press conference attended by protesters who say the state needs to invest more money in black communities.
The funding includes $422 million for the Regional Transportation Authority, which will give $253 million to the Chicago Transit Authority, $157 million to Metra and $32 million to PACE, which provides door-to-door service for the disabled. Another $85 million will go to transit districts downstate. […]
Fewer than a dozen protesters held a large “Dump Quinn in 2010″ banner and repeatedly tried to interrupt the news conference, demanding Quinn talk to them and answer why the state has not done more to bring jobs to minority communities.
I wonder who’s behind that? I’m hearing they looked like pros.
* Speaking of unemployment, this just came in from the Department of Employment Security…
Some relief in some places, but not nearly enough to soothe the anger out there.
* There might be more transit-related construction jobs if the state had more money…
Transit officials blamed politics for the delay but said they are just happy to get some of the $2.7 billion that Chicago-area transit was promised over five years in Illinois Jobs Now.
Asked when more might be forthcoming, Mr. Lavin said that depends on the General Assembly.
While lawmakers authorized the entire Illinois Jobs Now concept, they only approved bonds to cover a portion of the cost, bonds that now have been entirely issued, Mr. Lavin said. The Legislature will have to authorize more bonds before the CTA, Metra and Pace get more money, he said.
* Back to politics. Bill Brady’s campaign has a new new Internet video. Rate it…
