95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
HB3622

 

Introduced 2/28/2007, by Rep. Lou Lang

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/9-35 new

    Amends the Election Code. Creates the Campaign Expenditure Limits Study Commission to determine, and report to the General Assembly upon, campaign expenditure limits for candidates for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Comptroller, State Treasurer, State Senator, and State Representative. Provides for appointment of 6 Senators and 6 Representatives to the Commission by the legislative leaders. Requires that the Commission report to the General Assembly within 2 years and that the General Assembly pass legislation containing campaign expenditure limits within 3 years.


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FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Section
5 9-35 as follows:
 
6     (10 ILCS 5/9-35 new)
7     Sec. 9-35. Campaign Expenditure Limits Study Commission.
8     (a) The General Assembly declares that:
9         (1) A well-informed electorate is the greatest bulwark
10     of democracy, and a voter's ability to knowledgeably choose
11     among candidates for elective office depends largely upon
12     each candidate's access to communication with voters.
13         (2) The resources a candidate may expend on
14     communications with voters affect that candidate's ability
15     to convey his or her views to each voter.
16         (3) Campaigns for State executive and legislative
17     offices are increasingly costly, and limiting those
18     candidates expenditures would assure competing office
19     seekers a more level and equal access to voters.
20     (b) The Campaign Expenditure Limits Study Commission is
21 created, consisting of the following members: 6 State Senators,
22 appointed 3 each by the President and Minority Leader of the
23 Senate, and 6 State Representatives, appointed 3 each by the

 

 

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1 Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
2 Each appointing authority shall designate one of his or her
3 appointees as a co-chair of the Commission.
4     Each Commission member shall serve at the pleasure of his
5 or her appointing authority but in no event past the conclusion
6 of his or her current term of legislative office. A vacancy
7 shall be filled by appointment of the original appointing
8 authority, and a member who has been reelected to his or her
9 legislative office or elected to a different legislative office
10 may be reappointed to the Commission.
11     The Commission, and membership on the Commission, shall
12 expire the day after the Commission reports to the General
13 Assembly pursuant to subsection (d).
14     Commission members shall not receive compensation but
15 shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of
16 their service from funds appropriated for that purpose. The
17 Commission shall meet quarterly and may meet more frequently
18 upon joint call of its co-chairs.
19     (c) The Commission shall study and determine appropriate
20 campaign expenditure limits for each of the offices of
21 Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of
22 State, State Comptroller, State Treasurer, State Senator, and
23 State Representative. In determining the limits, the
24 Commission may consider and make recommendations upon:
25         (1) Whether separate limits are needed for primary and
26     general election campaigns.

 

 

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1         (2) Whether separate limits are needed on expenditures
2     by various entities, including without limitation the
3     candidate (with respect to personal resources), the
4     candidate's political committee, others authorized by the
5     candidate or his or her political committee, and others
6     acting on behalf of the candidate without authorization of
7     the candidate or his or her political committee.
8         (3) Whether expenditure limits should apply to in-kind
9     as well as monetary campaign expenditures.
10         (4) Any other issue deemed relevant by the Commission.
11     (d) Within 2 years after the effective date of this
12 amendatory Act of the 95th General Assembly, the Commission
13 shall report to the General Assembly its campaign expenditure
14 limits and any recommendations for statutory changes. Within 3
15 years after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the
16 95th General Assembly, the General Assembly shall pass a bill
17 or bills containing the campaign expenditure limits and any
18 recommended changes, which shall take effect upon the effective
19 date of the Public Act or Public Acts enacting that
20 legislation.