State Rep. Charlie Meier is an agitator and a troublemaker. And we need more of his kind in Springfield.
Back in 2016, St. Clair County Circuit Judges John Baricevic, Robert LeChien, and Robert Haida pulled the fast one (invented by former St. Clair County Judge Lloyd Cueto in 2006) by resigning their positions and pretending to be first-time candidates to avoid the higher threshold for retention. After all, how could they really trust voters to keep them in power?
Public officials should have cried foul at this constitutional abuse (which has only been tried in none other than St. Clair County). But the systems that could have stopped this farce – the State Board of Elections or the Illinois Supreme Court, for instance – did not do their duty.
That prompted Meier to attempt to get our legislature to define the obvious intent of the original law: that incumbent judges must stand for retention and receive at least 60 percent of the vote. As you probably know, the Machine did not put Meier's proposal up for debate.
His move back then should not have been necessary, but it was. And, his most recent intervention should not be necessary, either, but it is
Meier has filed legislation requiring that a list of supporters and opponents be retained with each bill from beginning to end, whatever the modifications to its name or number.
It’s in direct response to the judicial redistricting law that passed late at night on Jan. 5 - without public hearing, without input from local officials, without overisght from legislative redistricting committees. The governor signed this special interest bill in warp speed, two days later. This special legislation, sponsored by Chicago lawmakers who knew nothing about what was in it, has wreaked havoc on this year’s judicial elections in Madison County.
Meier’s transparency bill makes sense, right? Legislators and the general public both have a right to know which individuals and groups support or oppose particular bills, whatever their current incarnation, so that they can act accordingly.
“Requiring the entire list of supporters and opponents of the original bill to be included with the final bill voted on by the House and Senate is common sense,” says Meier. “It will make it easier for the public to track legislation important to them and it will bring more transparency to the legislative process.”
Common sense and sunshine are good for us. More, please.