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90_SC0001
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 1
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 2
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 3
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 4 rep.
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 6
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 7
ILCON Art. V, Sec. 14 rep.
Proposes to amend the Executive Article of the Illinois
Constitution. Eliminates the office of Lieutenant Governor.
Changes the election of executive branch constitutional
officers to presidential election years, with 2-year
transitional terms for those officers elected in 2002.
Effective upon voter approval as to the election schedule;
effective beginning with the election in 2002 as to the
elimination of electing a Lieutenant Governor; and effective
upon conclusion of the term of the Lieutenant Governor
elected in 1998 as to elimination of the office of Lieutenant
Governor and its functions.
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1 SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION
2 CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
3 WHEREAS, Under the Illinois Constitution of 1870 the
4 elected Lieutenant Governor presided over the Illinois Senate
5 and succeeded the Governor in the event of a vacancy in that
6 office; and
7 WHEREAS, Under the Illinois Constitution of 1970 the
8 Lieutenant Governor does not preside over the Senate, and the
9 only remaining duties are to succeed the Governor and perform
10 any other functions delegated by the Governor or by statute;
11 and
12 WHEREAS, In the entire history of Illinois, only five
13 Lieutenant Governors have succeeded to the office of
14 Governor, most recently in 1968; and in 1981 the Lieutenant
15 Governor resigned, leaving the office vacant for over a year
16 and a half; and
17 WHEREAS, The Lieutenant Governor could be eliminated from
18 the chain of succession, and the current statutory and
19 delegated functions of the Lieutenant Governor could be
20 transferred to other agencies of State government, all
21 without the loss of services to the citizens of Illinois; and
22 WHEREAS, The Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention
23 recommended that the election cycle for the State's executive
24 branch officers be changed to non-presidential election years
25 to allow the voters of Illinois to focus on the issues
26 confronting the State of Illinois; and
27 WHEREAS, This schedule of elections took effect in 1978
28 after the adoption of the Constitution by a referendum of the
29 voters in 1970; and
30 WHEREAS, As the result of this election schedule, the
31 number of people casting ballots for statewide executive
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1 office candidates has been significantly fewer than those
2 voting in presidential election years as indicated by the
3 total turnout of voters for the following election years:
4 1978 3,342,985
5 1980 4,868,890
6 1982 3,856,875
7 1984 4,969,352
8 1986 3,322,450
9 1988 4,697,192
10 1990 3,420,720
11 1992 5,164,357
12 1994 3,219,122;
13 1996 4,418,270; and
14 WHEREAS, For the 1994 election year, the total number of
15 registered voters in Illinois was 6,119,001, yet only
16 3,219,122 voters chose to cast ballots in that election,
17 clearly showing that the electorate is not as enthusiastic
18 for the election schedule as the framers of the 1970
19 Constitution anticipated; and
20 WHEREAS, The people of the State of Illinois, and most
21 voters throughout the nation, are exhausted by perpetual
22 election campaigns; as soon as one election is over, the
23 media, pundits, and political operatives begin conducting the
24 campaigns for the next election nearly two years away,
25 leaving no breathing room for the weary electorate; and
26 WHEREAS, By consolidating the election of the Governor,
27 Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller, and
28 Treasurer with the presidential election, the voters of the
29 State of Illinois will be able to decide the course of action
30 the leaders of both the nation and the State should take
31 without the constant campaigning that now interrupts the
32 functioning of government; and
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1 WHEREAS, By changing the schedule of elections, there
2 will likely be a cost savings to local governments that will
3 thus save the taxpayers money; therefore, be it
4 RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETIETH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
5 OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
6 CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the
7 electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the
8 general election next occurring at least 6 months after the
9 adoption of this resolution a proposition to amend Article V
10 of the Illinois Constitution by repealing Sections 4 and 14
11 and by changing Sections 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 as follows:
12 ARTICLE V
13 THE EXECUTIVE
14 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 1)
15 SECTION 1. OFFICERS
16 The Executive Branch shall include a Governor, Lieutenant
17 Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller
18 and Treasurer elected by the electors of the State. They
19 shall keep the public records and maintain a residence at the
20 seat of government during their terms of office.
21 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
22 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 2)
23 SECTION 2. TERMS
24 (a) Except as provided in subsection (b), the These
25 elected officers of the Executive Branch shall hold office
26 for four years beginning on the second Monday of January
27 after their election and, except in the case of the
28 Lieutenant Governor, until their successors are qualified.
29 They shall be elected at the general elections election in
30 1998 and 2002 and at the general election in 2004 1978 and
31 every four years thereafter.
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1 (b) The officers of the Executive Branch elected in 2002
2 shall hold office for two years beginning on the second
3 Monday of January after their election and until their
4 successors are qualified.
5 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
6 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 3)
7 SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY
8 To be eligible to hold the office of Governor, Lieutenant
9 Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller
10 or Treasurer, a person must be a United States citizen, at
11 least 25 years old, and a resident of this State for the
12 three years preceding his election.
13 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
14 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 4 rep.)
15 SECTION 4. JOINT ELECTION (REPEALED)
16 In the general election for Governor and Lieutenant
17 Governor, one vote shall be cast jointly for the candidates
18 nominated by the same political party or petition. The
19 General Assembly may provide by law for the joint nomination
20 of candidates for Governor and Lieutenant Governor.
21 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
22 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 6)
23 SECTION 6. GUBERNATORIAL SUCCESSION
24 (a) In the event of a vacancy, the order of succession
25 to the office of Governor or to the position of Acting
26 Governor shall be the Lieutenant Governor, the elected
27 Attorney General, the elected Secretary of State, and then as
28 provided by law.
29 (b) If the Governor is unable to serve because of death,
30 conviction on impeachment, failure to qualify, resignation or
31 other disability, the office of Governor shall be filled by
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1 the officer next in line of succession for the remainder of
2 the term or until the disability is removed.
3 (c) Whenever the Governor determines that he may be
4 seriously impeded in the exercise of his powers, he shall so
5 notify the Secretary of State and the officer next in line of
6 succession. The latter shall thereafter become Acting
7 Governor with the duties and powers of Governor. When the
8 Governor is prepared to resume office, he shall do so by
9 notifying the Secretary of State and the Acting Governor.
10 (d) The General Assembly by law shall specify by whom
11 and by what procedures the ability of the Governor to serve
12 or to resume office may be questioned and determined. The
13 Supreme Court shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction
14 to review such a law and any such determination and, in the
15 absence of such a law, shall make the determination under
16 such rules as it may adopt.
17 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
18 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 7)
19 SECTION 7. VACANCIES IN OTHER ELECTIVE OFFICES
20 If the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Comptroller
21 or Treasurer fails to qualify or if his office becomes
22 vacant, the Governor shall fill the office by appointment.
23 The appointee shall hold office until the elected officer
24 qualifies or until a successor is elected and qualified as
25 may be provided by law and shall not be subject to removal by
26 the Governor. If the Lieutenant Governor fails to qualify or
27 if his office becomes vacant, it shall remain vacant until
28 the end of the term.
29 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
30 (ILCON Art. V, Sec. 14 rep.)
31 SECTION 14. LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR - DUTIES (REPEALED)
32 The Lieutenant Governor shall perform the duties and
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1 exercise the powers in the Executive Branch that may be
2 delegated to him by the Governor and that may be prescribed
3 by law.
4 (Source: Illinois Constitution.)
5 SCHEDULE
6 This Constitutional Amendment takes effect as follows:
7 (1) those portions changing the years in which executive
8 branch officers are elected and providing for a two-year term
9 for those elected in 2002 take effect upon approval of this
10 Constitutional Amendment by the electors of this State;
11 (2) those portions eliminating the election of a
12 Lieutenant Governor take effect beginning with the election
13 in 2002; and
14 (3) those portions eliminating the office of Lieutenant
15 Governor and its functions take effect upon the conclusion of
16 the term of the Lieutenant Governor elected in 1998.