State Feed: Illinois

Paul Jacob Will Speak at Taxpayers United Anniversary Celebration

Trevor Ford — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:48:24 -0400

If you’re in the Chicago area tonight come check out the 35th Anniversary celebration for Taxpayers United of America. Our very own Paul Jacob will be a featured speaker at the event:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 2nd, 2011
Contact: Jim Tobin (773) 354-2076 | Christina Tobin (312) 320-4101

CHICAGO—Taxpayers United of America (TUA), one of the largest taxpayer organizations in the country and founded in 1976 by Jim Tobin, will hold its 35th anniversary celebration on Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011. The event will be at the University Club of Chicago, 76 E. Monroe St., Chicago, and will start at 6 pm.

Members of the media are invited. (The University Club requires jackets, ties optional, and no denim.)

Speakers include:

Illinois: Voters reject property tax referendum

Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:23:29 -0400

West Northfield School District 31 is considerating more than $1 million in budgets cuts in the wake of voters’ rejection April 5 of a property tax referendum. Three teachers and an assistant principal who are retiring will not be replaced. Other cuts on the table include the elimination of transportation for before- and after-school student activities; the reduction or elimination of extracurricular sports, clubs, and activities; and the elimination of summer school, except for special education programs that are mandated by law.

Read the story from the Tribune Local

Illinois: School renovation referendum defeated at polls

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 14:38:08 -0500

Voters by a wide margin shot down a $174 million plan to renovate and add on to New Trier High School’s Winnetka campus. Sixty-three percent of voters said no the ballot initiative, with a final vote tally of 13,713 to 8,068.

Read the story from Pioneer Press

Red Light Cameras Routed at Ballot Box - Including in America's 4th Largest City

Staff — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 12:22:14 -0500

After blogging yesterday about traffic enforcement cameras in Ohio, a reader pointed me to this excellent breakdown of red-light and speed camera votes around the country from TheNewspaper.com. According to the article, the cameras have never survived a public vote: they usually lose by margins of two-to-one.

Among the five additional communities to ban cameras is Houston, Texas - America’s fourth largest city:

Citizens' Rights Safe in Many States as State Legislatures End Sessions

Staff — Tue, 18 May 2010 14:23:59 -0400

Of the 45 states whose legislatures hold sessions in 2010, 27 of them have adjourned for the year, and 5 more will wrap up before the end of the month. Of the more than 80 bills dealing with the initiative and referendum process in various states, 51 of them would have reduced citizens’ initiative rights. Thanks to the work of activists in our coalitions, only 3 bills reducing citizen’s rights have passed and become law.

Illinois: Anti corruption amendment still needs signatures

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:13:51 -0400

The Fair Map Amendment proposal touted by supporters as an anti-corruption tool is falling way short in its quest to get on the November ballot with a deadline fast approaching. The proposed citizen initiative has garnered more than 120,000 petition signatures to get it on the ballot, but that is less than 50 percent of the 288,000-signature threshold. Supporters of the amendment had hoped to finish the petition drive by April 1, but that deadline has come and gone.

Illinois: State legislative redistricting focus of legislation and citizen initiative

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 10:47:16 -0400

Some say changing the culture of corruption in Illinois will require changing the way the state draw legislative districts. Monday night a state Senate committee approved a constitutional amendment that would do that, but it’s not the change for which many reformers had hoped. A citizen group is hoping they’ve gathered enough signatures to put their plan on the November ballot instead.

Read the story from WSIL 3

Illinois: Voters may be asked to weigh in on flooding and O'Hare airport

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:16:34 -0400

Park Ridge voters could see questions on their November election ballot asking if they are willing to support funding for flood control and a fight against O’Hare Airport. On Monday night 3rd Ward Alderman Don Bach asked that in April the council continue discussion of possible referendum questions related to issuing bonds to complete flood-control projects and funding efforts related to reducing O’Hare noise and traffic.

Illinois Governor Calls for Initiative...But Only for Ethics.

Staff — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:00:30 -0500

It’s great that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn called for Illinois citizens to be able to put ethical reform measures on the ballot, but why stop there? Shouldn’t they be allowed to vote on tax and spending issues as well? What about marriage, school bonds, or smoking bans?

Illinois: Governor calls for initiative on ethics standards

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:59:48 -0500

Quinn said he realized there may be “more to do” and underscored his long desire to put on the ballot an initiative that would let voters decide whether they could vote in ethical standards for officials in local and state governments throughout Illinois. “We have shown that when people work together, we can accomplish great things,” Quinn said.

Read the story from the Chicago Tribune

Illinois' Tough Initiative Process

Staff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:11:28 -0400

Illinois is technically an initiative state, but the process is very difficult. Illinois citizens do not have the ability to pass their own statutes or repeal statutes passed by the state legislature. The initiative process in Illinois is only advisory. You can read more about the history of I&R in Illinois here.

Illinois Gov. Quinn's Referendum Suggestion Snubbed by House

Staff — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:03:46 -0400

Back in August Illinois Governor Pat Quinn issed and “amendatory veto” to House Bill 723, the “Protect Incumbents Act”. The bill deals with blocking minor political parties ability to put candidates on the ballot through a party meeting that occurrs after the primary election.

Binding ethics initiative possible in Illinois

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:35:10 -0400

Gov. Pat Quinn is pressing his case for giving citizens the right to toughen local ethics laws by referendum. The Democratic governor and longtime fan of citizen initiatives put the issue on the legislature’s fall veto session agenda by using his authority to rewrite a bill lawmakers sent him. He has asked lawmakers to go along with his changes, but it may be a long shot when they meet in Springfield in mid-October.

School renovation defeated at ballot box

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 10:35:10 -0400

Voters soundly rejected a plan for the proposed $95 million renovation of Lake Central High School at the ballot box on Tuesday. Opponents outnumbered those in favor of the project — 59 percent to 41 percent. About 20 percent of registered voters — 8,529 people — in the school district voted on the question.

Read the story from the Post-Tribune

Illinois Governor Pushes for Statewide Recall

Staff — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:12:28 -0400

Citizen led reform is a priority for Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. He is working against the clock to push through his top issues before the official end of the state’s legislative session.

Quinn, who is trying to create a stark difference between himself and his predecessor, the disgraced Rob Blagojevich, is making his mark as a reformer. At the top of his “must-do” list are ethics reform, passing a recall measure, public financing and allowing citizens to use binding referendums to enact reform when lawmakers do not.

Quinn calls reform commission report a 'blueprint,' stresses importance of voter recall

Wed, 06 May 2009 16:43:44 -0400

The Illinois Reform Commission published its “100-Day Report” outlining recommendations for stanching statewide political corruption. The commission’s report was requested by Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn and aims to find concrete way to reform the ilinois government.

The Commission failed to find consensus on one reform measure the Governor is advocating, the power of recall. Discussing the recall process Quinn said, “That’s the ultimate way to get ethics in government.”

Illinois Voters Head to Polls

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:26:17 -0400

Illinois voters will head to the polls Tuesday to vote on a variety of issues. Advisory referendums dealing with issues ranging from tax measures to highway construction to secession from counties will be up for a vote.

Read the story from the Chicago Tribune

Illinois Mayorial Candidate Forces Ballot Lottery, Wins

Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:28:32 -0400

A candidate for mayor of Urbana came out on top when he forced a lottery for the top position on the upcoming ballot. The Republican candidate learned that a lottery was required by state law but had not been held. Joined by the Green party candidate, he filed suit to force clerks to hold the lottery.

Read the story from the News-Gazette

Putting Politics Before Principle

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 14:13:28 -0500

Former U.S. Term Limits spokesman Paul Jacob, who in 2000 made a campaign appearance with Johnson, says that in all, at least 25 members of Congress (not all Republicans) have broken such promises. (Read More)

Voters to settle 270-plus issues

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:27:38 -0400

There’s a little something for every voter with something to say this election, from recall and constitutional rewrites to alcohol sales and higher local taxes.

Those are among more than 270 ballot questions voters throughout the state will see Nov. 4 when they go to the polls, according to a tally by the State Board of Elections.

That’s below the referendum totals for other general elections in the past decade, the board says. It could be the product of fewer questions about local tax and fee increases in a slowing economy.