Open-primary legislation fails again
<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">For the second time in two weeks, an Illinois House committee has rejected an open-primary bill, apparently ending efforts to pass the legislation this spring.
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">The House Elections and Campaign Reform Committee voted along party lines to kill the latest bill, with Democrats voting against it and Republicans voting for it.
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"I don't think the Democrats like the concept," said Rep. Bill Black, R-Danville, sponsor of the bill killed Tuesday.
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">"There are people (in both parties) who are opposed to it," acknowledged Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, sponsor of another open-primary bill defeated by an identical vote last week.
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Both men said they think efforts to pass the legislation this year are dead.
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">An open primary allows voters to participate in primary elections without declaring party affiliation. In Illinois, voters must select a Republican, Democrat or Green Party ballot. The ballot selected is entered on a person's voting record that is available for public inspection.
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<p class="BODY" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Poe, Black and others argue that poor voter turnout in primary elections is partly due to people not wanting to declare which party they favor. They also argue that Illinois' system helps perpetuate political patronage.