100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
HB0348

 

Introduced , by Rep. David McSweeney

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 20/2  from Ch. 1, par. 103
10 ILCS 5/12A-55

    Amends the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act. Provides that when the Secretary of State first publishes a proposed constitutional amendment in a newspaper or newspapers, he or she shall also cause the existing form of the constitutional provision proposed to be amended, the proposed amendment, the explanation of the amendment, the arguments for and against the amendment, and the form in which the amendment will appear on the separate ballot, to be published on a publicly accessible Internet website controlled by the Office of the Secretary of State. Provides that the newspaper or newspapers containing the published amendment shall also provide a link to the amendment information published on the Secretary's Internet website. Removes language requiring the Secretary to issue a pamphlet concerning a proposed constitutional amendment. Amends the Election Code to make conforming changes. Effective immediately.


LRB100 04341 RJF 14347 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB0348LRB100 04341 RJF 14347 b

1    AN ACT concerning government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act is
5amended by changing Section 2 as follows:
 
6    (5 ILCS 20/2)  (from Ch. 1, par. 103)
7    Sec. 2. The General Assembly in submitting an amendment to
8the Constitution to the electors, or the proponents of an
9amendment to Article IV of the Constitution submitted by
10petition, shall prepare a brief explanation of such amendment,
11a brief argument in favor of the same, and the form in which
12such amendment will appear on the separate ballot as provided
13by Section 16-6 of the Election Code, as amended. The minority
14of the General Assembly, or if there is no minority, anyone
15designated by the General Assembly shall prepare a brief
16argument against such amendment. In the case of an amendment to
17Article IV of the Constitution initiated pursuant to Section 3
18of Article XIV of the Constitution, the proponents shall be
19those persons so designated at the time of the filing of the
20petition as provided in Section 10-8 of the Election Code, and
21the opponents shall be those members of the General Assembly
22opposing such amendment, or if there are none, anyone
23designated by the General Assembly and such opponents shall

 

 

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1prepare a brief argument against such amendment. The
2proponent's explanation and argument in favor of and the
3opponents argument against an amendment to Article IV initiated
4by petition must be submitted to the Attorney General, who may
5rewrite them for accuracy and fairness. The explanation, the
6arguments for and against each constitutional amendment, and
7the form in which the amendment will appear on the separate
8ballot shall be filed in the Office office of the Secretary of
9State with the proposed amendment. At least one month before
10the next election of members of the General Assembly, following
11the passage of the proposed amendment, the Secretary of State
12shall publish the amendment, in full in 8 point type, or the
13equivalent thereto, in at least one secular newspaper of
14general circulation in every county in this State in which a
15newspaper is published. In counties in which 2 or more
16newspapers are published, the Secretary of State shall cause
17such amendment to be published in 2 newspapers. In counties
18having a population of 500,000 or more, such amendment shall be
19published in not less than 6 newspapers of general circulation.
20When the Secretary first publishes the amendment in a newspaper
21or newspapers under the provisions of this Section, he or she
22shall also cause the existing form of the constitutional
23provision proposed to be amended, the proposed amendment, the
24explanation of the amendment, the arguments for and against the
25amendment, and the form in which the amendment will appear on
26the separate ballot, to be published on a publicly accessible

 

 

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1Internet website controlled by the Office of the Secretary of
2State. The newspaper or newspapers containing the published
3amendment shall also provide a link to the amendment
4information published on the Secretary's Internet website.
5After the first publication, the publication of such amendment,
6including a link to the Secretary's Internet website, shall be
7repeated once each week for 2 consecutive weeks. In selecting
8newspapers in which to publish such amendment the Secretary of
9State shall have regard solely to the circulation of such
10newspapers, selecting secular newspapers in every case having
11the largest circulation. The proposed amendment shall have a
12notice prefixed thereto in said publications, that at such
13election the proposed amendment will be submitted to the
14electors for adoption or rejection, and at the end of the
15official publication, he shall also publish the form in which
16the proposed amendment will appear on the separate ballot. The
17Secretary of State shall fix the publication fees to be paid
18newspapers for making such publication, but in no case shall
19such publication fee exceed the amount charged by such
20newspapers to private individuals for a like publication. In
21addition to the notice hereby required to be published, the
22Secretary of State shall also cause the existing form of the
23constitutional provision proposed to be amended, the proposed
24amendment, the explanation of the same, the arguments for and
25against the same, and the form in which such amendment will
26appear on the separate ballot, to be published in pamphlet form

 

 

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1in 8 point type or the equivalent thereto; and the Secretary of
2State shall mail such pamphlet to every mailing address in the
3State, addressed to the attention of the Postal Patron. He
4shall also maintain a reasonable supply of such pamphlets so as
5to make them available to any person requesting one.
6(Source: P.A. 98-463, eff. 8-16-13.)
 
7    Section 10. The Election Code is amended by changing
8Section 12A-55 as follows:
 
9    (10 ILCS 5/12A-55)
10    Sec. 12A-55. Constitutional issues. If a constitutional
11amendment appears on the ballot, the amendment information
12published on the Secretary of State's Internet website contents
13of the pamphlet issued by the Secretary of State under Section
142 of the Illinois Constitutional Amendment Act may be included
15in any guide issued by the Board.
16(Source: P.A. 94-645, eff. 8-22-05.)
 
17    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
18becoming law.