HB2410 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 07055 JAM 37200 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB2410

Introduced 2/17/2005, by Rep. John E. Bradley

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

10 ILCS 5/9-1.8	from Ch. 46, par. 9-1.8
10 ILCS 5/9-1.9	from Ch. 46, par. 9-1.9
10 ILCS 5/9-7.10 new

Amends the Election Code. Requires the State Board of Elections to develop and administer a program of public campaign financing for candidates for nomination or election to the office of Illinois Supreme Court judge. Prohibits candidates from accepting contributions and making expenditures except as provided by this program. Requires candidates to receive 250 separate seed money contributions of $5 each to qualify for public funds. Limits the amount of public funds per candidate to $25,000 for a primary and $50,000 for an election. Limits expenditures to the amount of public financing received plus seed money contributions.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning elections.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Election Code is amended by changing Sections 9-1.8 and 9-1.9 and by adding Section 9-7.10 as follows:

(10 ILCS 5/9-1.8) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-1.8)

Sec. 9-1.8. "State political committee" means the candidate himself or any individual, trust, partnership, committee, association, corporation, or any other organization or group of persons which--

(a) accepts contributions or grants or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 (or the amount specified in Section 9-7.10 when that Section applies) on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or candidates for public office who are required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act to file statements of economic interests with the Secretary of State,

(b) accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 in support of or in opposition to any question of public policy to be submitted to the electors of an area encompassing more than one county,

(c) accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 and has as its primary purpose the furtherance of governmental, political or social values, is organized on a not-for-profit basis, and which publicly endorses or publicly opposes a candidate or candidates for public office who are required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act to file statements of economic interest with the Secretary of State, or

(d) accepts contributions or makes expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 for electioneering communications relating to any candidate or candidates described in paragraph (a) or any question of public policy described in paragraph (b).

(Source: P.A. 93-847, eff. 7-30-04.)

(10 ILCS 5/9-1.9) (from Ch. 46, par. 9-1.9)

Sec. 9-1.9. "Political committee" includes State central and county central committees of any political party, and also includes local political committees and state political committees, but does not include any candidate who does not accept contributions or make expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 (or the amount specified in Section 9-7.10 when that Section applies), nor does it include, with the exception of State central and county central committees of any political party, any individual, trust, partnership, committee, association, corporation, or any other organization or group of persons which does not (i) accept contributions or make expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 on behalf of or in opposition to a candidate or candidates or to any question of public policy or (ii) accept contributions or make expenditures during any 12-month period in an aggregate amount exceeding $3,000 for electioneering communications relating to any candidate or candidates described in paragraph (a) of Section 9-1.7 or 9-1.8 or any question of public policy described in paragraph (b) of Section 9-1.7 or 9-1.8, and such candidates and persons shall not be required to comply with any filing provisions in this Article.

(Source: P.A. 93-847, eff. 7-30-04.)

(10 ILCS 5/9-7.10 new)

Sec. 9-7.10. Public financing of Supreme Court judicial candidates.

(a) This Section applies to candidates for nomination or election to the office of Illinois Supreme Court judge. It does not apply to Illinois Supreme Court judges seeking retention in office.

(b) From funds appropriated for this purpose, the State Board shall develop and administer a program of public financing of campaigns of candidates for nomination or election to the office of Illinois Supreme Court judge in accordance with the requirements and restrictions of this Section. The State Board shall adopt rules necessary for the implementation of this Section.

(c) A candidate for Supreme Court judge and the political committee organized for his or her candidacy may not accept contributions or make expenditures except as provided in this Section. A person seeking to qualify as a candidate for Supreme Court judge must receive 250 contributions of $5 each from 250 different contributors. These contributions shall be referred to collectively as "seed money". The name and address of each contributor must be reported to the State Board. When the State Board determines that a person has met this seed money contribution requirement and has met all other judicial candidacy requirements, the person is eligible to receive public financing of his or her campaign as provided in this Section.

(d) A candidate qualified to receive public campaign financing for the general primary election may receive up to $25,000 from the State Board. A candidate qualified to receive public campaign financing for the general election may receive up to $50,000 from the State Board. A successful candidate who received public campaign financing for the general primary election may not accept seed money contributions for his or her candidacy at the subsequent general election and shall automatically qualify for public campaign financing for his or her candidacy at that general election.

(e) A candidate qualified to receive public campaign financing for the general primary election may not make expenditures in excess of the amount of public financing that candidate has received plus his or her seed money contributions. A candidate qualified to receive public campaign financing for the general election may not make expenditures in excess of the amount of public campaign financing that candidate has received plus his or her seed money contributions, if any.