Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0467

HR0467 LRB104 15343 JDS 28497 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Section 14 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution vests in the House of Representatives the sole power to impeach executive and judicial officers of the State of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, the Governor of Illinois, JB Pritzker, has engaged in conduct that, under the totality of the circumstances, constitutes inciting violence and that is incompatible with the duties of his office; and

WHEREAS, the House of Representatives is empowered under Section 14 of Article IV of the Illinois Constitution to impeach JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that JB Pritzker, Governor of the State of Illinois, is impeached for cause and that the following article of impeachment be exhibited to the Senate for trial as provided in the Illinois Constitution so that the Senate may do justice according to law:

ARTICLE OF IMPEACHMENT EXHIBITED BY THE HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES IN THE NAME OF ITSELF AND THE PEOPLE OF THE

STATE OF ILLINOIS AGAINST JB PRITZKER, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE

OF ILLINOIS, IN MAINTENANCE OF THE IMPEACHMENT OF HIM FOR

CAUSE.

ARTICLE ONE

Based on the totality of the evidence contained below, in his conduct while Governor of the State of Illinois, JB Pritzker has issued inflammatory statements that incite violence against elected officials, citizens, and persons located in the United States and has failed to uphold the constitutional requirement to faithfully execute the laws of the State of Illinois.

(1) On or about February 19, 2025, Governor JB Pritzker ended his State of the State speech with the following statements that compare Republicans to the Nazi party of 1930s Germany: "The authoritarian playbook is laid bare here: They point to a group of people who don't look like you and tell you to blame them for your problems. . . . If you think I'm overreacting and sounding the alarm too soon, consider this: It took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours and 40 minutes to dismantle a constitutional republic."

(2) On or about March 22, 2025, Governor JB Pritzker spoke at the 2025 Human Rights Campaign Los Angeles Dinner and stated the following when speaking about the Trump Administration and Republicans in Congress:

(A) "Bullies respond to one thing, and one thing only, a punch in the face."

(B) "And I won't continue to advocate that we wage a conventional political fight when what we really need is to become street fighters."

(3) On or about April 27, 2025, Governor JB Pritzker spoke in Manchester, New Hampshire, and stated: "Never before in my life have I called for mass protests, for mobilization, for disruption, but I am now. These Republicans cannot know a moment of peace."

(4) Since the issuance of the statements listed above by Governor Pritzker, the following acts of political violence against persons or organizations in the United States have occurred:

(A) The headquarters of the Republican Party of New Mexico was subjected to an arson attack.

(B) A Minnesota state legislator and her spouse were shot and killed while a second legislator and spouse were shot and injured.

(C) Two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed outside a museum in Washington, D.C.

(D) A gunman fired shots at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta.

(E) Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event on a college campus.

Under the totality of the evidence, Governor JB Pritzker failed to execute his duties under the Constitution of the State of Illinois. Statements that advocate for the physical and mental harm of an individual, that compare political opponents to a violent and hateful political party from world history, and that normalize violence against another person due to political differences constitute a failure to uphold his constitutional duties.

Wherefore, the multiple statements inciting violence against elected officials, citizens, and persons located in the United States by Governor JB Pritzker warrant his impeachment and trial, removal from office as Governor, and disqualification to hold any public office of this State in the future.