Peoria Standard

Deputy House Minority Leader Ryan Spain recently voiced his concerns over what he perceives as underhanded tactics by Democrats in their last-minute election omnibus bill (SB 2412). The bill was hastily passed through the General Assembly last week. According to Spain, the Democrats' amendment to SB 2412 was filed and rapidly pushed through both the House and Senate within a day, favoring political self-interest over transparency.

In response to both the process and content of the measure, House Republican lawmakers collectively voted "present" on the bill. Following this vote, House Republican Leader Tony McCombie and the Republican caucus held a press conference to emphasize their refusal to participate in what they believe are politically motivated games prioritized by House Democrats this spring.

Senate Bill 2412, colloquially known as the "Katie Stuart Protection Act," discontinues the long-established practice of allowing local party organizations to appoint candidates for uncontested legislative races during general elections. This process also necessitates that a candidate collect and file signed petitions from registered voters within their respective district.

Rep. Stuart, a Metro East Democrat, faced no opposition following the March primary until local Republicans appointed a Republican candidate and filed the necessary petition signatures with the Illinois State Board of Elections mere hours before SB 2412's final passage.

The measure also includes three non-binding questions - the maximum allowed by law - on the ballot. Critics argue these questions serve no purpose other than driving Democrat voters to polling stations while simultaneously preventing any other citizen-driven initiatives.

Governor JB Pritzker signed the measure into law shortly after telling reporters he had not yet reviewed all its details. His signature came almost immediately after Senate concurrence with amendments made by the House.

Deputy Leader Ryan Spain strongly criticized what he views as political manipulation by Democrats. "The Democratic Majority has the ability to put real questions on the ballot, such as Fair Maps and critically needed Ethics Reform; but today they chose to play games. It's disingenuous. They are disenfranchising voters and suppressing competition: what this bill intended. In short, this initiative prevents choice and competition in our elections. The rules shouldn't be changing in the middle of the election cycle," said Rep. Spain.

Spain further commented on the implications for Illinois voters, stating, "The losers in all of this are the voters and the people of Illinois who deserve checks and balances and they deserve elections that are actually competitive."