 "Lawmakers were called into session this week to pass emergency
legislation so the public can pick who will be the next U.S. senator
from Illinois," Bomke said. "We needed to do that before session
adjourned."Bomke said that anything short of having the people
elect who will replace President-elect Obama in the U.S. Senate will
only further undermine the public's confidence in Illinois
government.
"The appointment process has been so thoroughly tainted, anyone
who is appointed would serve under a cloud of suspicion and be
significantly handicapped for the next two years," Bomke added.
Under legislation that was scheduled for a vote, a special
primary could be held on Feb. 24, which is already scheduled as the
date for municipal primaries. The general election would then be the
same day as the municipal general election on April 7.
"We had a chance to move forward and give the choice of selecting
the next senator to the citizens of Illinois," Bomke said. "Instead,
the majority party leaders in the House and the Senate kept the
power out of the people's hands by blocking a vote on this crucial
legislation."
[Text from file sent on behalf of
Sen.
Larry Bomke] |
