95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2007 and 2008
SB0227

 

Introduced 2/7/2007, by Sen. Pamela J. Althoff

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
5 ILCS 430/70-5
10 ILCS 5/9-25.1   from Ch. 46, par. 9-25.1; formerly   Ch. 46, pars. 102, 103 and 104

    Amends the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act and the Election Code. Provides that communication to the public by the corporate authorities of a unit of local government or school district explaining a decision to place a public question on the ballot or explaining support of or opposition to a public question does not constitute a prohibited political activity or election interference. Requires that the corporate authorities in the communication specify how the referendum will directly affect residents' health, safety, or welfare or the unit's or district's government or affairs. Effective immediately.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1     AN ACT concerning referenda.
 
2     Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
 
4     Section 5. The State Officials and Employees Ethics Act is
5 amended by changing Section 70-5 as follows:
 
6     (5 ILCS 430/70-5)
7     Sec. 70-5. Adoption by governmental entities.
8     (a) Within 6 months after the effective date of this Act,
9 each governmental entity shall adopt an ordinance or resolution
10 that regulates, in a manner no less restrictive than Section
11 5-15 and Article 10 of this Act, (i) the political activities
12 of officers and employees of the governmental entity and (ii)
13 the soliciting and accepting of gifts by and the offering and
14 making of gifts to officers and employees of the governmental
15 entity.
16     Nothing in a governmental entity's regulation of political
17 activities shall prohibit the governmental entity's corporate
18 authorities from communicating to the public (1) the reasoning
19 for the corporate authorities' decision to place a referendum
20 question on an upcoming election ballot, even if that
21 communication supports the referendum question or otherwise
22 may constitute a prohibited political activity, or (2) the
23 reasons why the corporate authorities support or oppose a

 

 

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1 referendum question on an upcoming election ballot (regardless
2 of how that question was placed on the ballot), even if that
3 communication supports or opposes the referendum question or
4 may otherwise constitute a prohibited political activity. In
5 any such communication, however, the corporate authorities
6 must specify how they believe the referendum question directly
7 affects the health, safety, or welfare of the residents of the
8 governmental entity or otherwise pertains to the governmental
9 entity's government and affairs.
10     The exemptions from prohibited political activities
11 provided by this subsection shall apply only to communications
12 with respect to referendum questions and not to communications
13 with respect to candidates for any public office.
14     (b) Within 3 months after the effective date of this
15 amendatory Act of the 93rd General Assembly, the Attorney
16 General shall develop model ordinances and resolutions for the
17 purpose of this Article. The Attorney General shall advise
18 governmental entities on their contents and adoption.
19     (c) As used in this Article, (i) an "officer" means an
20 elected or appointed official; regardless of whether the
21 official is compensated, and (ii) an "employee" means a
22 full-time, part-time, or contractual employee.
23 (Source: P.A. 93-615, eff. 11-19-03; 93-617, eff. 12-9-03.)
 
24     Section 10. The Election Code is amended by changing
25 Section 9-25.1 as follows:
 

 

 

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1     (10 ILCS 5/9-25.1)  (from Ch. 46, par. 9-25.1; formerly Ch.
2       46, pars. 102, 103 and 104)
3     Sec. 9-25.1. Election interference.
4     (a) As used in this Section, "public funds" means any funds
5 appropriated by the Illinois General Assembly or by any
6 political subdivision of the State of Illinois.
7     (b) No public funds shall be used to urge any elector to
8 vote for or against any candidate or proposition, or be
9 appropriated for political or campaign purposes to any
10 candidate or political organization. This Section shall not
11 prohibit the use of public funds for dissemination of factual
12 information relative to any proposition appearing on an
13 election ballot, or for dissemination of information and
14 arguments published and distributed under law in connection
15 with a proposition to amend the Constitution of the State of
16 Illinois.
17     (b-5) Nothing in this Section prohibits the corporate
18 authorities of a unit of local government or a school district
19 from communicating to the public (1) the reasoning for the
20 corporate authorities' decision to place a proposition on an
21 upcoming election ballot, even if that communication supports
22 the proposition or otherwise may violate this Section, or (2)
23 the reasons why the corporate authorities support or oppose a
24 proposition on an upcoming election ballot (regardless of how
25 that proposition was placed on the ballot), even if that

 

 

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1 communication supports or opposes the referendum question or
2 may otherwise violate this Section. In any such communication,
3 however, the corporate authorities must specify how they
4 believe the proposition directly affects the health, safety, or
5 welfare of the residents of the unit or district or otherwise
6 pertains to the unit's or district's government and affairs.
7     This subsection applies only to communications with
8 respect to propositions and not to communications with respect
9 to candidates for any public office.
10     (c) The first time any person violates any provision of
11 this Section, that person shall be guilty of a Class B
12 misdemeanor. Upon the second or any subsequent violation of any
13 provision of this Section, the person violating any provision
14 of this Section shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor.
15 (Source: P.A. 87-1052.)
 
16     Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon
17 becoming law.