Capitol Fax.com - Your Illinois News Radar

Cross wants special elections after appointments

Posted in:

Illinois

* Based on an inaccurate media report yesterday, I criticized a Republican proposal as “pandering in the extreme.” It’s actually not as extreme as we were led to believe…

The Illinois House’s top Republican said Tuesday he’s crafting legislation designed to stop the longtime practice of outgoing elected officials anointing their successors without any say from voters. […]

[House GOP Leader Tom Cross] said his bill is still being drafted but that if a seat were left vacant before June 30, a special primary election would be held within 70 days.

If a vacancy occurred after that date, party leaders would name a temporary candidate to fill the general election ballot spot.

But a special primary and special general election for the seat would be required if the temporary candidate won office.

The bill wouldn’t apply to congressional vacancies, but it would apply to statewides, legislators and Cook County.

* More…

The key change in the proposed law is that even if an officeholder decides to resign just before a general election, and hand her place on the ballot her child or other insider, there would still be a special primary and another election right after the general, so there would not be a full term.

It’s not clear that any of this will go anywhere. The Illinois State Senate president is Emil Jones, Jr., who just gave his state senate seat to his son, Emil Jones III.

Thoughts?

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:18 am

Comments

“It’s not clear that any of this will go anywhere.”

Objectivity is not displayed by a reluctance to opine.

Of course, its going to go nowhere.

The only thing missing in the newspeice is a recitation of the number of similar shennanigans pulled by Republicans in legislative and county races.

And, who can overlook the games played by our honorable judiciary on their way out.

A rough guess, but probably a third to half of the circuit court judges first get on the bench through appointment.

Comment by True Observer Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:32 am
Well TO, anything that makes this sort of BS stop on all sides can’t be a bad thing.

Comment by OneMan Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:33 am
This is just another reason we need to vote “yes” this November for a Constitution Convention.

There is too much power to too few inbred politicians to the point where we are not operated like a democracy. Voters are not empowered in Illinois and government is not reflective of the 21st Century and today’s world.

With each new constitution, a strong reason that supported a new convetion was the obsolescence of the previous constitution.

We have reached that point again.

Comment by VanillaMan Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:37 am
so does this mean GOP Rep. Jim “twice-appointed-by-GOP-insiders-most-recently-to-Eileen-Lyons-vacant-seat” Durkin doesn’t approve of the way he got his job???

Comment by anon Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:37 am
I like it, but how come this bill won’t tackle US Congressional seats. This bill should prevent another Dan Lipinski as well as a Stroger or a Jones.

Comment by Levois Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:41 am
Nothing wrong with mandatory primaries to fill vacant seats. Should have been a law, statutory or constitutional, already. If Emil Jones, Jr., is the unintentional midwife of the introduction of such legislation, so what?

Comment by Captain Flume Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 10:56 am
It’s a good issue for the GOP at the moment. Of course, they do this stuff, too, but the poster boys right now are Lipinski, Stroger and Jones.

Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 11:03 am
It’s good. Anything that makes it hard for a single faction to control the election process should make these kinds of handovers less likely. I’m not sure if state law can affect US office holders (like US Congresscritters or US Senators).

Comment by cermak_rd Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 11:14 am
It should apply to more than just Cook County offices - say like regional superintendents of schools.

Downstate in Southern Illinois, long-time Reg. Supt. P. E. Cross, surrendered his ballot position just before the election in order to get his son appointed to the ballot. The Republicans didn’t have a candidate and it was too late for them to appoint one.

Nepotism isn’t just a Chicago tradition.

Comment by From the Sidelines Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 11:16 am
I would be all for this if we could have a special election TODAY to replace Durkin and Cross.

These guys are such phonies. Cross for example has been the biggest roadblock to allowing Republicans to go back to directly electing the members of the State GOP’s Central Committee. And Durkin’s never lifted a finger to help.

Yeah, these guys are all for more democracy until it gores their own little ox.

This is just the latest in gimmicky, do-nothingness. Put aside the fact that this proposal would cost taxpayers a lot of money if implemented. These goofs will never advance it anywhere.

Are they bringing out the red “We’re #1″ big foam hands for this one?

Next!

Comment by GOP'er Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 11:18 am
It’s a sensible proposal that addresses the many abuses that have occured and will continue to occur in the future. /voters should have an opportunity to choose successors rather than leaving it to political insiders who are contemptuous or not responsive to public opinion.

Comment by Captain America Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 11:18 am
I agree that we should have special elections, to replace any elected official who dies or resigns, if the vacancy happens at least 70 days before the next election. This would ensure that the new official is someone who has the support of the voters, instead of only having the support of the important party leaders. Since governments spend a lot of money, to hold elections, the next state constitution should state that, starting in 2012, all regularly scheduled elections would be held during even-numbered years. This would save money that is currently spent, by the county and city governments, to hold local elections, during odd-numbered years.

Comment by PhilCollins Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 11:29 am
GOP’er you do realize that their are 5 congressional districts in Illinois that shouldn’t even have a vote on the GOP central committee. Giving the right for direct election would be a terrible mistake esp. in those districts. We almost ended up with Carol Smith Donovan as our committee woman because of those districts. And what was her claim to fame you may ask? Well she was able to find Thompson delegates in the 5th and 7th CD.

Comment by Cool Cool Kal Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 12:31 pm
Cool Cool Kal, what the heck are you talking about? Nothing you said makes any sense to me. Just all gibberish.

And fyi, Carol Smith Donovan is on the GOP’s Central Committe NOW thanks to the stupid system we currently have.

Comment by GOP'er Wednesday, Sep 10, 08 @ 9:03 pm