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Champaign County Clerk Files Lawsuit Over Voting Provision
Story date: Monday, November 23, 2009
Champaign County Clerk Mark Shelden says part of a new state election law threatens the principle of a secret ballot.
He’s filed a lawsuit that would block local elections officials from utilizing the Undervote Notification Law in February’s primary. That provision would indicate that someone failed to cast a single vote for a statewide office, like Governor or Comptroller, or even one that’s uncontested, like Secretary of State. Shelden says after a tabulating machine indicates an error message, an election judge would give that person the option of keeping their ballot as is, filling out a new one, or completing their ballot. Shelden says people shouldn’t be forced to vote for an office if they’re not familiar with the candidates, or simply don’t care.
“I believe that part of what’s going to happen here is the intent is to try to intimidate people into casting all the votes for all the races,” says Shelden. “Maybe they haven’t made up their mind on a race, and for whatever reason, they want to leave that race blank, and we think it’s their right to leave it blank and not be harrassed at this final step in the voting process.” The Undervote law was part of the 2007 omnibus election bill. Shelden’s lawsuit filed Friday in Champaign County Court would seek an injunction to block the use of the provision in February, but he hopes to have it declared unconstitutional. No other lawsuits have been filed in the state, but Shelden says other county clerks are considering such action, with hopes that state lawmakers will change the omnibus bill. He estimates around 8,000 Champaign County voters will receive the error message if the provision remains in place for the upcoming primary.
New York is only other state to have passed the undervote provision, but an emergency rule was passed there to block the use of it before the state’s last election.
Story categories:
government • Champaign County • politicsGEO Ratifies Contract with U of I, Officially Ending Strike
Story date: Monday, November 23, 2009
Graduate workers at the University of Illinois’ Urbana campus are a step closer to finalizing a new 3-year contract.
Members of the Graduate Employees Organization ratified the agreement between Thursday and Sunday, forwarding it to U of I administrators. The GEO unanimously voted to suspend a 2-day strike at a membership meeting last Tuesday night, after coming to agreement on protection for tuition waivers. The two sides had already agreed on items like salary, health care, and child care.
Spokesman Peter Campbell says the GEO’s 26-hundred members had ample opportunity to cast a ballot from Thursday morning through Sunday, and he’s not alarmed that about 350 members turned out for it. “Given all of the work and labor and energy that GEO members have invested, it doesn’t really surprise me that this sort of final step would not have quite as high of a participation as the strike authorization vote,” says Campbell. Campbell says a small portion of the votes, or just over 30, were against the agreement during the ratification vote. GEO members have been at work since last Tuesday evening.
U of I spokeswoman Robin Kaler says the ratification will not require a vote from university trustees, as previously thought. She says the ratification vote could come yet this week, and involves five individuals, including the comptroller, interim Provost and Chancellor Robert Easter, and a chief negotiator. But Kaler says those campus leaders had yet to receive the contract from the GEO as of Monday afternoon.
Story categories:
labor • University of IllinoisIn Decatur, Racial Discipline Gap Grows Like State
Story date: Sunday, November 22, 2009
The racial disparity in discipline at the Decatur School District has grown in the 10 years since mass protests over the expulsion of six black students for fighting.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson led marches in November 1999 and said punishment policies were not fair to all children.
An Associated Press review found the statewide racial gap in discipline has grown since then.
The AP’s study shows that black suspensions have increased 75 percent in the past ten years. White suspensions have fallen 5 percent.
The more serious penalty of expulsion has fallen disproportionately on blacks too.
Whites are expelled 16 percent more than they were a decade ago. Black expulsions have jumped 56 percent.
Decatur mirrors that trend.
Both white and black enrollment has fallen in recent years at Decatur.
Suspensions have dropped 34 percent for whites but risen 41 percent for blacks.
Expulsions rose to 77 four years ago before falling to 23 in the latest numbers. Twenty of those were blacks.
A school district spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Story categories:
Quinn Creates Illinois Public Health Advocate
Story date: Sunday, November 22, 2009
The State of Illinois has established a new office called Public Health Advocate.
The state already has a public health agency… but this role will go a step further… according to the Governor. He says the Advocate will improve health through education. The Advocate will also develop strategies for preventing and treating diseases…. Including asthma and diabetes. Governor Pat Quinn says another task will include making sure residents understand their health insurance options and their public health rights.
As health care has become the most expensive part of state government, Quinn says the Advocate will consider cost conscious measures.
While it’s likely you’ve not heard about the new office until now… it’s expected to become high profile in the future. The Public Health Advocate will work directly with local agencies… universities… schools and others.
The Governor used the occasion of American Diabetes month to create the office through an executive order.
Story categories:
government • Illinois • healthBody Found Hanging From Tree in Danville
Story date: Sunday, November 22, 2009
Authorities in Danville are investigating the death of a man found hanging from a tree yesterday Sunday morning in the Logan Avenue area.
The man has been identified as 42 year old Howard Pollitt.
Police say a passerby reported Pollitt’s body handing from a tree near the CSX railroad tracks west of Logan Avenue.
Danville Public Safety Director Larry Thomason says their initial investigation leads them to believe no foul play was involved in Pollitt’s death. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday.
