Cook County voters to weigh in on recall amendment

Tribune:

Flying under the political radar, supporters of a constitutional amendment to allow the recall of the governor have placed an advisory referendum question on the Nov. 4 ballot to let Cook County voters weigh in on the issue.

Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, historically not a politician to avoid the media spotlight, quietly spearheaded the drive to ask voters if the Illinois Constitution should be altered to establish a process to boot the governor and other statewide elected officials out of office.

Even if voters agree, the referendum won't result in any official changes.

It could, however, potentially provide a show of support for the recall concept two years before the 2010 statewide elections.

"In my opinion, it's better than any poll because it's votes at a ballot box and that speaks a language any politician would understand," Quinn said Tuesday.

Earlier this year, House lawmakers pushed to include the recall question on ballots across the state, citing frustration with Gov. Rod Blagojevich and an ongoing federal corruption investigation surrounding his administration. But that proposal was stymied in the Senate under the leadership of President Emil Jones Jr., one of Blagojevich's biggest allies.

Perhaps it should be under consideration when there is a con-con by 2010. Something we also have to decide when we pull the ballot for President in November.

Recall Could Be Big Debate at Con-Con

From CPR:

One amendment being talked about is recall, where voters would get the chance to give elected officials the boot before the end of their term. State Representative Jack Franks recently tried to pass a recall bill in Springfield, but it ultimately failed. He says recall helps hold officials accountable.

FRANKS: It looks as though the only way that we're able to get the ability for recall is through a constitutional convention just because the entrenched special interests will always beat it if it comes up for a vote.

But state Senator John Cullerton argues a convention could open the door to wrong-headed changes to the constitution. He says recall could be an example of that, especially if judges were to be removed from the bench.

Illinois Senate rejects recall by narrow margin

From Clout Street today, I shouldn't be surprised. There were apparently two different versions of a recall bill one was a bluff apparently to the state House of Representatives while the state House passed their own version recently. This might have to wait until a constitutional convention:

A measure aimed at letting Illinoisans recall embattled Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich failed in the state Senate on Thursday, and lawmakers said the rejection effectively kills the issue this year.

Some House and Senate lawmakers were pushing hard to get the recall issue in front of voters at the November general election, but that would have required agreement on a bill by Sunday. The Senate adjourned after the vote and won’t be back until next week.

Senate President Emil Jones (D-Chicago), Blagojevich’s top legislative ally, opposed the measure. It got 33 votes, three shy of what it needed to pass.

The proposal would allow voters to recall public officials ranging from the governor to county board presidents. But the bill’s sponsors have said the measure was aimed at Blagojevich, who they blame for gridlock that has paralyzed state government. The measure picked up steam amid a continuing stream of pay-to-play allegations against the administration and the federal corruption trial of Blagojevich fundraiser Antoin “Tony” Rezko.

Much of the fiery debate on the Senate floor Thursday from both supporters and opponents of recall was aimed at Blagojevich.

Sen. Mike Jacobs (D-East Moline) called recall a “giant hoax” that would be too costly when lawmakers could simply move forward by ousting the governor themselves.

“We have a chance to do what we want to do, and that’s impeach the governor of Illinois,” Jacobs said.

But Jacobs called on Blagojevich to “do the right thing” and quit.

Sen. Donne Trotter (D-Chicago) maintained the idea of recall is a “lot of hype” and would undercut the one-man, one-vote standard because losers in elections could get a “second bite of the apple.”

Capitol Fax has more on today's proceedings. Oh and take a look at the Roll Call. I know what killed this bill three who didn't vote and two called present. I can see how some took umbrage at Barack Obama voting present, it seems like it's not taking a stand.

Eye on Chicago: Should Illinois have recall?

Watch this video with Pat Quinn from CBS2.

ADDITION: Visit Quinn's recall website recall2008.com!

Trotter sponsors recall amendment; Franks and Quinn upset by move

Donne Trotter represents some of the Sixth Ward in the state senate. This is why I'm presenting this to the general audience here. Article via the Capitol Fax...

State Rep. Jack Franks and Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn are fuming mad that a state senator who called Franks' proposed recall amendment “stupid” has become its chief Senate sponsor.

Franks, D-Woodstock, is scrambling to get his proposed constitutional amendment to allow voters to recall state elected officials out of the hands of state Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, who opposes the measure. Quinn, a long-time advocate of recall, and Franks late last week denounced Trotter's move to become chief sponsor, just days after the amendment passed the House with the needed three-fifths majority.

Trotter told the Chicago Tribune last week that the idea was “stupid” and that voters could oust unpopular leaders in regular elections.

“I want to expose what I think is the corruption of the system and the cronyism, quite frankly, and re-emphasize that I'm trying to give government back to the people,” Franks said. “This is exactly the types of shenanigans and dirty deeds that I've vowed to root out.”

Franks accused Trotter, the Senate's majority caucus whip, of sponsoring the bill to make sure that it died in committee. Trotter denied Friday that he intended to keep the amendment from a vote, but called it a way for Franks to take his public feud with Gov. Rod Blagojevich to a new level by amending the Constitution to help get rid of him.

“As a matter of fact, what I told Representative Franks is that I believe it's a bad bill and it's a stupid bill, and I don't think it should focus on getting rid of someone in a way that circumvents the Constitution and free and fair elections,” Trotter said.

Trotter said the bill would fail on its own lack of merits, not any attempt by him to kill it. He said he would welcome changes, such as allowing for recall of any elected official down to the local government level.

House members voted, 75-33, on Tuesday to approve the amendment, which would allow voters to gather signatures to recall statewide office holders and General Assembly members. Thirty Democrats, mostly from Cook County, and three Republicans voted against it.

Bill would allow recall of Illinois officials

This has been in the news for the better part of the last year. There are politicians in Springfield both Democrat and Republican who want to allow the citizens of Illinois to recall elected officials. I'd like some thoughts on this, perhaps get some discussion going. Here's the story...

One Illinois senator calls it "buyer's remorse."

Whatever it's called, electing the wrong person makes some wish their government came with a return policy. If a proposed amendment to the Illinois Constitution comes to fruition, voters soon will have the right to change their minds about executive, legislative and judicial officers.

State Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, made one of many stops here last week in a 10-day trip aimed at adding recall of elected state officials to the constitution. The amendment already passed unanimously in the House State Government Administration Committee, and could be up for a vote relatively soon, according to Illinois Rep. Ruth Munson, R-Elgin.

Rutherford said blatant political corruption in Springfield and elsewhere has led him and others to demand a avenue for recourse.

"I think there are two things that prompted this," Rutherford said. "One is Rod Blagojevich and two is George Ryan."

According to the proposed amendment, a petition for recall would have to come within six months of when the official's most current term began. It requires a minimum number of signatures equal to 20 percent of the last vote for that office. For example, recall for a statewide office right now would require about 420,000 signatures, according to news release circulated by Rutherford.

If the requirements are met, the recall would be added to the next ballot. A majority vote would lead to the official's removal from office, the amendment states.

For ratification, the amendment would have to pass the Illinois House, the Senate and a referendum vote, all with three-fifths majorities. The amendment also could be proposed at a constitutional convention. During the Nov. 4 general election, Illinoisans will be voting for or against holding such a convention in 2010. Voters have the option of calling one every 20 years.

The 20 percent minimum sets the bar pretty high, Rutherford said, which is important because sometimes leaders must make unpopular decisions.

"I do not want it to be something that would hinder an official's fortitude," he said. "You want people to be statesmen," not politicians.

Oh yeah I should mention that this is one possible change that could be made if there is a call for a constitutional convention in this year's election. For recall I would vote yes, provided that the recall election doesn't turn into a circus as it did in California with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis in 2003. On it's face I like this proposal, but what does everyone else think out there.