A hastily passed state law designed to prevent Republicans from appointing candidates to the ballot after the March primary has been ruled unconstitutional by a Sangamon County judge.
The law immediately prohibited local party slating of legislative candidates when no candidate had run in the primary. But, as Circuit Judge Gail Noll noted, the bill was passed and signed into law after the 75-day post-primary candidate slating process had already begun.
The timing, according to the judge, imposed a “severe restriction on the right to vote,” based on Illinois Supreme Court precedent. She said that the General Assembly could have passed a bill to stop the practice in future elections, but not in the middle of the process.
A total of 15 Republicans were slated to the ballot and turned in petitions after Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law.
The Democrat majority rammed the legislation through the House in one day, forgoing their own House rules.
An amendment was filed on Senate Bill 2412 on a Wednesday morning, and it was assigned to the House Executive Committee. A hearing was held shortly thereafter and on Democrat votes, it passed out of committee. Two hours later, the bill was brought forth for a vote on the House floor. It passed with 67 Democrat votes. House Republicans all voted present as a protest vote.
State Representative Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) said the real intention of the Democrats was to eliminate competition in our elections.