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Blagojevich's No. 2 backs recall option for Illinois
By Kenneth Lowe
kenneth.lowe@lee.net
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SPRINGFIELD -- At the urging of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn, an Illinois House committee Wednesday voted unanimously in favor of asking voters if they want to allow California-style recalls of elected officials.

"The fact that recall is even on the books makes all of us as officeholders in the executive branch and every other branch be on our toes - not just on Election Day, but 365 days a year," Quinn told members of the State Government Administration Committee.

State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Woodstock, said he proposed the constitutional amendment because of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's performance, and that he expects overwhelming support for the bill in the House.

"Illinois voters deserve a way to remove an incompetent elected official who has not committed a crime," Franks said. "After what happened last year and the continued problems that this administration is having, I think people would be hard-pressed to vote against a constitutional amendment that would empower the people to recall an elected official that is not doing his or her job."

Many legislators have expressed a desire to provide a system of recalls solely for the purpose of ousting Blagojevich, including state Sen. Dan Rutherford, R-Pontiac, who has provided information on the recall amendment proposal to voters.

Blagojevich, who has battled with lawmakers over the past year, has stated in the past that he would be in favor of an amendment to the Illinois Constitution allowing voters to recall elected officials.

If the proposal passes the legislature and is signed by the governor, Illinoisans would vote on whether to adopt the constitutional amendment during the next election.

Assuming voters could gather what Quinn called "a Herculean number of signatures," the question of recall would then appear on the ballot of a special election. A second question on the same ballot would ask voters who should replace the official if they are recalled.

"Only if the electorate at large is truly engaged in the issue does the recall question even appear on the ballot," Quinn said.

Only two governors have ever been recalled in American history – California's Gray Davis in 2003 and North Dakota's Lynn Frazier in 1921.

The legislation is House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28.

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Reader comments on this story - 16 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

True Elephant wrote on Mar 6, 2008 7:11 PM:

" You may want to check out Sen. Rutherford's website as well as his Committee for Legislative Action website. He has been posting a lot of info on the Governor and the latest news on the Recall. "

Gov't Oppressed Mule wrote on Mar 6, 2008 1:13 PM:

" It's about time. We need to hold our "elected" officials accountable for their actions. "

illini fan 5 wrote on Mar 6, 2008 12:20 PM:

" This is a great idea. It worked will for California and it seems like it would work here also. It would be nice to have a Governor that lives in Springfield and not a Chicago machine man. "

GOM wrote on Mar 6, 2008 10:00 AM:

" Oh my gosh! I think this will be the first step to rescue the state from the grasp of Downstate Republicans. "

polaris wrote on Mar 6, 2008 9:25 AM:

" Wow! If it shows up on the ballot, it's got my vote. This could really improve Illinois politics. With everything that went on in his first term, he should have never been re-elected. The problem is that most Illinois voters have no clue what's going on - they just pull the lever for the party listed after the candidate's name. Ignorant voters really frost me! "

Sam Wainwright wrote on Mar 6, 2008 8:51 AM:

" To everyone who voted this dumbbell in office in the first place: Ha Ha- I'm smarter than you! I didn't vote for Blago in either election! How you like me now?
Mark my words- Blago will be out of office before his term is over. And Lisa Madigan will be the next Democratic candidate for Governor. "

Rolling Eyes wrote on Mar 6, 2008 7:48 AM:

" I lean conservative, but Pat Quinn has always impressed me as a straight-shooter. "

Kevin wrote on Mar 6, 2008 7:05 AM:

" I'm all for it and I'm a Democrat too "

bullfrog wrote on Mar 6, 2008 6:26 AM:

" Even if the Gov. signs a bill like this, He would be out of office before it could throw him back to where he belongs. "

Christines wrote on Mar 6, 2008 4:54 AM:

"


In sharp contrast to his tough talk about ethics reform in government, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., approached a well-known Illinois political fixer under active federal investigation, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, for "advice" as he sought to find a way to buy a house shortly after being elected to the United States Senate.

The parcel included an adjacent lot which Obama told the Chicago Tribune he could not afford because "it was already a stretch to buy the house."

On the same day Obama closed on his house, Rezko's wife bought the adjacent empty lot, meeting the condition of the seller who wanted to sell both properties at the same time.

Rezko had been widely reported to be under investigation by the U.S. attorney and the FBI at the time Obama contacted him and has since been indicted on corruption charges by a federal grand jury in a case that prosecutors say involves bribes, kickbacks and "efforts to illegally obtain millions of dollars."


Obama maintains his relationship with Rezko was "above board and legal" but has admitted bad judgment, calling his decision to involve Rezko "a bone-headed mistake."

"

Zeva wrote on Mar 6, 2008 4:34 AM:

" Where do I vote??? I have one leg out the door and the other in the car, tell me where to go and I'll be there in a flash! This man has to go! He has made such a mess out of Illinois it's an insult to all the citizens. I'm happy to announce I did not vote for this man and never would. Taxes are outragous, no industry, no jobs, the cost of everything is off the wall and all he cares about is "hairspray" and flying back and forth to Springfield at our expense. I'm trying to figure out what he has done for Illinois and dammed if I know. Illinois is sinking faster than the Titanic and all because of his lack of integrity and know how. We are the ones suffering not him. I'm still fuming over his ability to get free tickets to see Hannah Montanna. All for his daughter, and he could care less about anyone else's daughter. Kick this man to the curb!! "

pseudo-intellectual wrote on Mar 5, 2008 10:38 PM:

" Pat Quinn for governor. "

BigBrother wrote on Mar 5, 2008 9:29 PM:

" The big "IF" is that Blago has to sign the proposal in order for the voters to vote on it. It is the first step toward political accountability. A step in the right direction for Illinois. "

Bama Yankee wrote on Mar 5, 2008 9:23 PM:

" I lived in Illinois for more than 40 years. I retired last year to Alabama because I could no longer abide the direction that Illinois was following.
Neither political party was doing anything to improve conditions for the average Illinois resident, were taxing them to extinction and generally making life miserable for taxpayers while giving free room and board to so many upstate couch potatoes.
I now live in a state where it is actually legal to protect my home with force, my taxes support the educational system, and my income isn't sucked from my bank account by vampires in Chicago.
For my friends still living in Illinois, if you let this opportunity to make your government accountable slip through your fingers, you will loose the sympathy and respect of the rest of the nation. "

Political Heretic wrote on Mar 5, 2008 6:34 PM:

" Wow. If it was the Republicans going after Blago, it would probably look like a Monicaesque witch hunt. With your OWN Lt. Governer? Looks baaaaaad. This is the price you pay for thinking you can poke Michael Madigan and Emile Jones in the eyes. I really wish the Pantagraph carried more state level news coverage. All we ever hear about is Blago being a p&!(k. "

ktlin wrote on Mar 5, 2008 5:39 PM:

" Oh my gosh! I think this will be the first step to rescue the state from the grasp of Chicago Democrats. "
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