By: Mark Glennon*
Prospective candidates for the Illinois General Assembly filed a lawsuit Friday in the Sangamon County Circuit Court alleging violation of constitutional voting rights resulting from recent changes in the the rules for filling vacancies on the ballot in the general election for a political party’s candidate.
The complaint is here and a motion for a temporary restraining order is here.
As an alternative to a primary election, Illinois law allowed for a party to get its candidates on the ballot for General Assembly spots by party slating procedure, along with collection of a requisite number of public signatures on nominating positions. A number of Republican challengers have been proceeding accordingly.
But over the course of just 30 hours on the first days of this month, the Democratic supermajority changed the law to retroactively disallow that procedure, thereby barring challengers from the November ballot as Republican party candidates.
The change almost certainly gives Democrats a win in races in which Republicans did not run a candidate in the primary and could result in dozens of unopposed races. The new law originated as a “shell bill” – one on an entirely different subject with a different label, before being changed in the 30-hour cram-through.
Gov. JB signed the new law the day after it was passed, hours after telling reporters he didn’t know all the details. He also claimed it was an “ethics” bill. “
“This is nothing more than a brazen attempt by Illinois Democrats to disenfranchise voters and eliminate political competition. To hide behind the guise of ‘ethics,’ is laughable,” said Sean M. Morrison, Chairman of the Cook County GOP.
See our earlier column here about the recent change in the election law, harshly criticizing the measure, for more details.
*Mark Glennon is founder of Wirepoints.
Audio and summary 
If this bill passes, say goodbye to local control over all Illinois parks and expect to see open drug and alcohol use, needles, no sanitation and fire hazards, but no ordinary park users.
The most disheartening thing is that Pritzker and his goons will break any and every law they don’t care Pritzker’s attitude is so sue me take me to court with the courts and judges in his hip pocket he doesn’t give a damn about anyone in Illinois.
Tyrants like JB, CTU and Illinois Democrats have little patience for the law.
Another patently unconstitutional law that will be rejected by the courts. Brazen.
No ex post facto, people
Actually, in the US the prohibition of ex post facto laws is limited to criminal matters and may not apply here. I will be curious to learn why basis of the lawsuit is limited to unconstitutional deprivation of voting rights and why it wasn’t filed in federal court.
Checking this out further, it appears that IL law has a particularly tough level of scrutiny courts will apply. And Sangamon County actually has better judges than most of the state, so the IL court option appears smart.