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HB 723, a bill that would make it nearly impossible for third parties to slate candidates in Illinois, has passed both houses, and is on its way to Governor Quinn’s desk to be signed.
Free & Equal remains opposed to this corrupt legislation, nicknamed the “Protect Incumbents Act”. A letter has been sent to Governor Quinn urging him to veto the bill.
June 1, 2009
Governor Quinn,
Throughout your term, you have championed yourself as a reformer; determined to end the corruption that for years has run rampant through the halls of the Capitol. Now, with the General Assembly determined to do all in their power to protect their own jobs, you have an opportunity to demonstrate once again your reformer’s mentality.
Last week, the General Assembly passed a bill designed to do nothing more than to further insulate incumbents from electoral challenges. The vote in the house was unanimous, proving once again that Republicans and Democrats can agree on one thing: they want as little electoral competition as possible.
House Bill 723 is a bill that is expected to substantially reduce the number of candidates for General Assembly and increase the number of uncontested races by adding hurdles to the post-primary slating process.
Slating is the ability of party leaders to choose a candidate for office when no candidate runs in that party’s primary. HB723, if signed, would add the requirement that a slated candidate would need to collect a number of signatures from voters. For General Assembly races, it is often very difficult to achieve the signature requirements for minority parties within a district. In addition, unlike the 90 day period in advance of a primary, the post-slating collection period is no more than 75 days – and those days are mostly in the poor weather months of February and March.
This bill is a blatant attempt to stifle electoral competition in General Assembly races, at the expense of voter choice. When the bill came before the Senate, chief sponsor Terry Link (D-30) falsely claimed the post-slating rules were identical to the primary qualification rules, and he was not challenged on the floor. In addition, during testimony before the Senate Elections Committee, Green Party leaders called out Sen. Link on false claims he made before that body, which resulted in the bill being amended. Sen. Link admitted in committee testimony that the bill was aimed directly at the Green Party, because of Green candidates who had been slated for General Assembly in 2008.
The effective result of this bill becoming law will be to eliminate competition in several General Assembly races. We sincerely hope that you will take under consideration the finding of the Illinois Reform Commission, that incumbency protection remains one of the largest hurdles to reform in the state.
The Free & Equal Elections Foundation urges you to veto this corrupt piece of legislation.
We ask you to ensure that voters have a choice when they go to the polls, and to prove that you are determined to reform Illinois politics by vetoing HB 723.
Sincerely,
Christina M. Tobin, Founder & Chairman of the Board
The Free & Equal Elections Foundation
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