Michael J. Kasper
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Speaker Welch asks IL high court to toss ruling barring Dems from blocking many GOP candidates from fall ballot
A Springfield judge had ruled Democrats violated the constitutional rights of Republican candidates by passing a law weeks after the primary election barring them from getting on the ballot to challenge Democratic incumbents this fall because they didn't first run in the primary election -
More GOP candidates join court case vs IL Dems over 'candidate slating' ballot blocking law
Democrats told a Springfield judge she needs to can the case, saying the changes to the election rules in the middle of the 2024 election cycle don't violate anyone's rights, and judges have no place deciding if state lawmakers abided by the constitution in deciding how candidates can get on the ballot -
State's attorneys: IL Dems rewrote IL constitution by eliminating bail; IL A/G: SAFE-T Act protects constitutional rights
Legal teams representing 62 Illinois county prosecutors and the Illinois state officials have squared off with opposing filings in Kankakee County court, with the fate of the so-called SAFE-T Act at stake -
Judges say Dems' partisan power grab in drawing new maps didn't also violate Voting Rights Act
Democrat mapmakers were "motivated by partisan political considerations," a panel of federal judges said, so it doesn't matter that they divided Latino and Black populations up among various districts, rather than maximizing majority minority districts -
IL Dems, challengers spar in court over whose map would result in more Latino, Black lawmakers elected
Republicans and Latino and Black advocates told a panel of federal judges that Illinois Democrats drew a new state legislative district map solely to protect Democratic incumbents and boost their party power, stepping on Black and Latino voting rights in the process. -
Republicans, Latino advocates file proposed map to 'correct constitutional defects' of Dems' state districts
The proposed new map, filed with federal judges, would nearly triple the number of majority Latino state House and Senate districts, compared to plan approved by Democrats and signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in September -
Judges: Democrats' June state district maps unconstitutional; New September maps still under review
A panel of federal judges said Democrats' decision to use "population estimates," rather than Census data resulted in unbalanced districts, under a plan rushed through simply to retain firm grip on power -
Trial lawyers keep funding Madigan political war chest, despite bribery scandal; $161K donated in September
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, who is also chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois, has been implicated in a federal bribery investigation. Trial lawyers, however, continue to donate money to Madigan's campaign organization. -
State Board of Elections set to hear objections to St. Clair County judges' candidacies Jan. 20
The Illinois State Board of Elections will meet next week to hear challenges to the candidacies of three sitting circuit judges who have chosen unusual paths toward keeping their positions. Twentieth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge John Baricevic and Circuit Judges Robert LeChien and Robert Haida submitted letters of resignation to Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Rita Garman both on Aug. 3 and Aug. 14, 2015, writing that they intended to seek election to their seats rather than to seek retenti