State Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, smiles on the House floor after Republicans chose not to debate his proposed election law changes, instead voting present then leaving the chamber for a news conference. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
By JERRY NOWICKI, HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK | Capitol News Illinois
SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot.
It’s a move that caused minority party Republicans to vote “present,” then walk off the House floor without even debating the measure, while four Democrats voted against the bill that would amend ballot laws for the election cycle that is already underway.
Republicans were particularly critical of a provision that prohibits political parties from appointing a candidate to a general election ballot if no member of that party filed nominating petitions for the primary.
The minority party also criticized Democrats’ hasty movement of the proposed changes from introduction to floor passage. Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, filed the amendment to an unrelated bill, Senate Bill 2412, Wednesday morning before it was quickly moved to committee for passage, then to the floor within hours. It now awaits action in the Senate.
House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, noted at an impromptu news conference on a Capitol stairwell that the GOP has grown accustomed to legislation moving with little public notice – but it usually happens closer to the General Assembly’s end of May adjournment.
“But we don’t understand the sense of urgency right now, unless the goal – the end goal – is to stifle the democratic process through the changes on slating candidates,” she said.
At the same time the amendment was moving through the House, senators were being briefed separately on the proposed changes.
In the Senate Executive Committee, which meets one floor below the House chamber, Republican Leader John Curran, of Downers Grove, argued that changing the rules in the middle of an election cycle would be unfair to potential candidates who are operating under existing rules.
Senate Republican Leader John Curran debates proposed election law changes in the Senate Executive Committee on Wednesday. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock)
He also said such a move could add to what he called the public’s growing mistrust of the election system generally.
“There’s a lot of talk around the country about stealing elections,” Curran said. “And the faith in the democratic process has been shaken a bit around the country. I believe Illinois would be adding to that, really, national problem, if it took that step here and changed the rules midstream rather than just waiting to the next election cycle.”
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