101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2019 and 2020
HB3543

 

Introduced , by Rep. Anne Stava-Murray

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
New Act

    Creates the Municipal Officer Recall Act (referred to as the Laquan McDonald Law). Establishes a procedure for an election to recall a mayor, city council members, or a State's Attorney. Effective immediately.


LRB101 10596 AWJ 55702 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB3543LRB101 10596 AWJ 55702 b

1    AN ACT concerning local government.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 1. Short title; references to Act.
5    (a) Short title. This Act may be cited as the Local Officer
6Recall Act.
7    (b) References to Act. This Act may be referred to as the
8Laquan McDonald Law.
 
9    Section 5. Applicability. In the event this Act conflicts
10with any other provisions of law, this Act shall control
11notwithstanding those other provisions of law.
 
12    Section 10. Definitions. As used in this Act:
13    "Alderman" and "mayor" have the meanings given to those
14term in paragraph (8) of Section 1-1-2 of the Illinois
15Municipal Code.
16    "Proponent" means a voter who initiates a recall petition
17and has control over circulating and obtaining signatures for
18the recall petition.
 
19    Section 15. Mayor recall election.
20    (a) The recall of a mayor may be proposed by a petition
21signed by a number of electors equal in number to at least 10%

 

 

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1of the total votes cast for mayor in the preceding election. A
2petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors not
3more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with the
4proper election authority providing notice of intent to
5circulate a petition to recall the mayor. The affidavit may be
6filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the
7mayor's term of office. The affidavit shall have been signed by
8the proponent of the recall petition and at least 2 aldermen.
9All proponents of a recall petition must be registered voters
10who, based on their residence, are qualified to vote for the
11office of mayor.
12    (b) The form of the petition, circulation, and procedure
13for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
14shall be as provided by law. If the petition is valid and
15sufficient, the proper election authority shall certify the
16petition not more than 7 days after the date the petition was
17filed, and the question "Shall (name) be recalled from the
18office of (mayor/president)?" must be submitted to the electors
19at a special recall election called by the proper election
20authority, to occur not more than 60 days after certification
21of the petition. A recall petition certified by the proper
22election authority may not be withdrawn and another recall
23petition may not be initiated against the mayor within the 6
24months after a recall election failed to remove the mayor or if
25the mayor has less than 6 months remaining in his or her term.
26Any recall petition or recall election pending on the date of

 

 

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1the next election at which a candidate for mayor is elected is
2void.
3    (c) If a petition to recall the mayor has been filed with
4the proper election authority, a person eligible to serve as
5mayor may propose his or her candidacy for the special
6successor primary election by a petition signed by at least 5%
7of legal voters of the municipality, signed not more than 50
8days after a recall petition has been filed with the proper
9election authority. All petitions, and procedure with respect
10thereto, shall conform in other respects to the provisions of
11the Election Code concerning the nomination of independent
12candidates for public office by petition. If the successor
13election petition is valid and sufficient, the proper election
14authority shall certify the petition not more than 60 days
15after the date the petition to recall the mayor was filed.
16    If the mayor is removed by the special recall election, the
17names of candidates for mayor must be submitted to the electors
18at a special successor primary election called by the proper
19election authority to be held 60 days after the special recall
20election. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes in
21the special successor primary election, a special runoff
22election shall be held no later than 60 days after the special
23successor primary election, and only the names of the
24candidates receiving the highest and second highest number of
25votes at the special successor primary election shall appear on
26the ballot. If more than one candidate received the highest or

 

 

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1second highest number of votes at the special successor primary
2election, the names of all candidates receiving the highest and
3second highest number of votes shall appear on the ballot at
4the special runoff election. The candidate receiving the
5highest number of votes at the special runoff election shall be
6declared elected.
7    (d) The mayor is immediately removed upon certification of
8the special recall election results if a majority of the
9electors voting on the question vote to recall the mayor. If
10the mayor is removed, then (i) the vice mayor shall serve until
11the mayor elected at the special successor primary election or
12special runoff election is qualified and or, if there is not a
13vice mayor in the municipality, a person temporarily appointed
14by the city council shall serve until a mayor is elected (ii)
15the candidate who receives a majority of votes in the special
16primary election or the candidate who receives the highest
17number of votes in the special runoff election is elected mayor
18for the balance of the term.
 
19    Section 20. Alderman recall election.
20    (a) The recall of an alderman of a municipality may be
21proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in
22number to at least 10% of the total votes cast in the preceding
23aldermanic election in that ward or 3 times the amount of
24signatures needed to be nominated by law, whichever is greater.
25A petition shall have been signed by the petitioning electors

 

 

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1not more than 150 days after an affidavit has been filed with
2the proper election authority providing notice of intent to
3circulate a petition to recall the alderman. The affidavit may
4be filed no sooner than 6 months after the beginning of the
5alderman's term of office. All proponents of a recall petition
6must be registered voters who, based on their residence, are
7qualified to vote for the alderman against which the recall
8petition is filed.
9    (b) The form of the petition, circulation, and procedure
10for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
11shall be as provided by law. If the petition is valid and
12sufficient, the proper election authority shall certify the
13petition not more than 7 days after the date the petition was
14filed, and the question "Shall (name) be recalled from the
15office of (alderman/commissioner/trustee) for the (ward
16number) Ward?" must be submitted to the electors at a special
17recall election called by the proper election authority, to
18occur not more than 60 days after certification of the
19petition. A recall petition certified by the proper election
20authority may not be withdrawn and another recall petition may
21not be initiated against the alderman within the 6 months after
22a recall election failed to remove the alderman or if the
23alderman has less than 6 months remaining in his or her term.
24Any recall petition or recall election pending on the date of
25the next election at which a candidate for alderman is elected
26is void.

 

 

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1    (c) If a petition to recall the alderman has been filed
2with the proper election authority, a person eligible to serve
3as alderman may propose his or her candidacy for the special
4successor primary election by a petition signed by at least 1%
5of legal voters of the municipality, signed not more than 50
6days after a recall petition has been filed with the proper
7election authority. All petitions, and procedure with respect
8thereto, shall conform in other respects to the provisions of
9the Election Code concerning the nomination of independent
10candidates for public office by petition. If the successor
11election petition is valid and sufficient, the proper election
12authority shall certify the petition not more than 60 days
13after the date the petition to recall the alderman was filed.
14    If the alderman is removed by the special recall election,
15the names of candidates for alderman must be submitted to the
16electors at a special successor primary election called by the
17proper election authority to be held 60 days after the special
18recall election. If no candidate receives a majority of the
19votes in the special successor primary election, a special
20runoff election shall be held no later than 60 days after the
21special successor primary election, and only the names of the
22candidates receiving the highest and second highest number of
23votes at the special successor primary election shall appear on
24the ballot. If more than one candidate received the highest or
25second highest number of votes at the special successor primary
26election, the names of all candidates receiving the highest and

 

 

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1second highest number of votes shall appear on the ballot at
2the special runoff election. The candidate receiving the
3highest number of votes at the special runoff election shall be
4declared elected.
5    (d) The alderman is immediately removed upon certification
6of the special recall election results if a majority of the
7electors voting on the question vote to recall the alderman. If
8the alderman is removed, then (i) a special successor primary
9election or special runoff election shall be held to determine
10the next alderman and (ii) if no candidates are presented to
11the proper election authority within the times required by
12subsection (c) of this Section, then a replacement alderman
13shall be appointed as provided by law in the event of a vacancy
14in the office.
 
15    Section 25. State's Attorney recall election.
16    (a) The recall of a county's State's Attorney may be
17proposed by a petition signed by a number of electors equal in
18number to at least 5% of the total votes cast for the State's
19Attorney in the preceding election. A petition shall have been
20signed by the petitioning electors not more than 150 days after
21an affidavit has been filed with the county clerk providing
22notice of intent to circulate a petition to recall the State's
23Attorney. The affidavit may be filed no sooner than 6 months
24after the beginning of the State's Attorney's term of office.
25All proponents of a recall petition must be registered voters

 

 

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1who, based on their residence, are qualified to vote for the
2State's Attorney.
3    (b) The form of the petition, circulation, and procedure
4for determining the validity and sufficiency of a petition
5shall be as provided by law. If the petition is valid and
6sufficient, the county clerk shall certify the petition not
7more than 7 days after the date the petition was filed, and the
8question "Shall (name) be recalled from the office of State's
9Attorney?" must be submitted to the electors at a special
10recall election called by the county clerk, to occur not more
11than 60 days after certification of the petition. A recall
12petition certified by the county clerk may not be withdrawn and
13another recall petition may not be initiated against the
14State's Attorney within the 6 months after a recall election
15failed to remove the State's Attorney or if the State's
16Attorney has less than 6 months remaining in his or her term.
17Any recall petition or recall election pending on the date of
18the next election at which a candidate for the State's Attorney
19is elected is void.
20    (c) If a petition to recall the State's Attorney has been
21filed with the county clerk, a person eligible to serve as
22State's Attorney may propose his or her candidacy for the
23special successor primary election by a petition signed by at
24least 5% of legal voters of the county, signed not more than 50
25days after a recall petition has been filed with the county
26clerk. All petitions, and procedure with respect thereto, shall

 

 

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1conform in other respects to the provisions of the Election
2Code concerning the nomination of independent candidates for
3public office by petition. If the successor election petition
4is valid and sufficient, the county clerk shall certify the
5petition not more than 60 days after the date the petition to
6recall the State's Attorney was filed.
7    If the State's Attorney is removed by the special recall
8election, the names of candidates for State's Attorney must be
9submitted to the electors at a special successor primary
10election called by the county clerk to be held 60 days after
11the special recall election. If no candidate receives a
12majority of the votes in the special successor primary
13election, a special runoff election shall be held no later than
1460 days after the special successor primary election, and only
15the names of the candidates receiving the highest and second
16highest number of votes at the special successor primary
17election shall appear on the ballot. If more than one candidate
18received the highest or second highest number of votes at the
19special successor primary election, the names of all candidates
20receiving the highest and second highest number of votes shall
21appear on the ballot at the special runoff election. The
22candidate receiving the highest number of votes at the special
23runoff election shall be declared elected.
24    (d) The State's Attorney is immediately removed upon
25certification of the special recall election results if a
26majority of the electors voting on the question vote to recall

 

 

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1the State's Attorney. If the State's Attorney is removed, then
2(i) a special successor primary election or special runoff
3election shall be held to determine the next State's Attorney
4and (ii) if no candidates are presented to the county clerk
5within the times required by subsection (c) of this Section,
6then a replacement State's Attorney shall be appointed as
7provided by law in the event of a vacancy in the office.
 
8    Section 30. Petitions.
9    (a) The following must be included in any recall petition
10submitted under this Act:
11        (1) The name and title of the officer to be recalled
12    under the petition.
13        (2) A statement, not exceeding 200 words in length, of
14    the reasons for the proposed recall.
15        (3) The printed name, signature, and residential
16    address of each of the proponents of the recall.
17    (b) Within 7 days of the filing of a notice of intent to
18recall the officer, the officer against whom a recall petition
19is being attempted can officially file an answer, not exceeding
20200 words in length, to the proponents and a statement of
21defense against the recall attempt.
22    (c) Proponents shall, if possible, publish a notice of
23intent to circulate a recall petition in an English language
24newspaper of general circulation in the relevant jurisdiction.
25If no newspaper operates in the jurisdiction of the officer to

 

 

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1be recalled, proponents must post the notice of intent in at
2least 3 public places.
 
3    Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
4becoming law.