97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB6254

 

Introduced , by Rep. Karen May

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
10 ILCS 5/Art. 28A heading new
10 ILCS 5/28A-1 new

    Amends the Election Code. Authorizes the voters of any unit of local government to pass, by initiative petition and referendum, a binding ordinance related to veterans. Provides that those ordinances may include measures that provide job training opportunities for veterans, veterans' employment, or other measures that enable veterans to access health services or other services and benefits.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1    AN ACT concerning elections.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Election Code is amended by adding Article
528A and Section 28A-1 as follows:
 
6    (10 ILCS 5/Art. 28A heading new)
7
ARTICLE 28A. REFERENDUM FOR HELPING VETERANS

 
8    (10 ILCS 5/28A-1 new)
9    Sec. 28A-1. Local government initiative petition and
10referendum for helping veterans.
11    (a) In order to promote the welfare of veterans of our
12nation's armed forces, the electors of any unit of local
13government may pass, by initiative petition and referendum in
14the manner prescribed by this Article, a binding ordinance
15relating to the subjects set forth in subsection (b) that the
16corporate authorities of their unit of local government are
17empowered to pass.
18    (b) A binding ordinance relating to helping veterans of any
19branch of service in the armed forces of the United States may
20be proposed by a petition signed by the number of electors
21equal to at least 8% of the total votes cast for Governor at
22the last general election in the unit of local government. The

 

 

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1petition shall contain the text of the proposed ordinance and
2the date of the general or consolidated election at which the
3proposed ordinance is to be submitted, shall have been signed
4by petitioning electors not more than 12 months preceding the
5general or consolidated election, and shall be filed with the
6clerk of the unit of local government at least 92 days before
7that election. Ordinances that may be proposed pursuant to this
8subsection (b) include, but are not limited to, measures that
9provide job training or employment opportunities for veterans,
10or other measures that enable veterans to access health
11services or other services and benefits. Any ordinance proposed
12pursuant to this subsection (b) that will require the
13imposition of a tax or fee of any kind, or the expenditure of
14any public funds, shall specify, in the text of the referendum
15question, the amount of any such tax, fee, or expenditure, on
16an annual basis.
17    (c) If the corporate authorities of the unit of local
18government, without amendment, pass the binding ordinance
19proposed by such a petition filed with the clerk of the unit of
20local government not less than 78 days prior to the regular or
21unit of local government election at which the petition
22specifies the proposed binding ordinance is to be submitted,
23then the proposed binding ordinance shall not be submitted to
24the electors of the unit of local government.
25    (d) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, petitions
26filed under this Article shall be governed by Article 28 of

 

 

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1this Code.
2    (e) If no objection to a petition filed under subsection
3(b) is filed within 5 business days after such petition is
4filed, or if an objection is filed and the appropriate
5electoral official or board rules the petition sufficient, then
6the clerk of the unit of local government shall submit the
7petition to the election official or board for the unit of
8local government, and the election official or board shall
9order the proposed ordinance submitted to the electors of the
10unit of local government at the election specified in the
11petition.
12    (f) If, after the election official or board of the unit of
13local government orders the proposed ordinance to be submitted
14to the electors of the unit of local government, it determines
15that the proposed ordinance is too long to be printed in its
16entirety on the ballot, it shall ask the clerk of the unit of
17local government to provide a concise statement of its nature.
18The election official or board shall then cause either the
19entire proposed ordinance or the concise statement to be
20printed on the ballot together with a question permitting the
21elector to indicate approval or disapproval of adoption of the
22proposed ordinance.
23    (g) If a majority of those voting on the proposed ordinance
24indicate approval of its adoption, it shall be passed and have
25the same effect as if it had been passed by the corporate
26authorities of the unit of local government, except as provided

 

 

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1in subsection (h).
2    (h) Ordinances adopted under this Article, either by
3approval of electors at an election or by passage by the
4corporate authorities under subsection (c), shall not be
5repealed or amended within 4 years after adoption except by
6vote of the electors.
7    (i) The corporate authorities of a unit of local government
8may submit to its electorate a proposition to repeal or amend
9an ordinance adopted under this Article at any election in
10conformance with Article 28 of this Code.