After referendums pass, critics accuse IL legislature of ‘hoarding’ ballot space

[November 15, 2024]  By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – After the passage of all three non-binding statewide referenda placed on the 2024 ballot by the state legislature, critics say the government hoarded ballot real estate, resulting in citizen initiatives not appearing for voters.

David Smith, Illinois Family Institute executive director, said there is only so much real estate on a ballot.

"The three referendums circumvented the citizen initiatives that we were trying to get on the ballot,” Smith said.

The Parents Matter Coalition attempted to get a question on the ballot asking voters if parents should have more control over minors making decisions surrounding abortions or gender identity procedures.

Jeanne Ives, a former state representative, said petitioners failed to get the advisory question on the November ballot. They needed over 300,000 signatures but fell short.

"They were so worried that we might just happen to get on the ballot with our question that just before the deadline to put ballot questions on for the 2024 election, they passed three of their own advisory questions that are political gimmicks just to block our question from being on the ballot in the event we had enough signatures to do so,” said Ives.

The coalition got nearly 100,000 signatures.

Ives said no more than three referenda are allowed on the ballot. She is accusing the legislature of filling the ballot with initiatives that were “unnecessary” to ensure the coalition couldn't get their advisory question on the November ballot.

Former Illinois Republican state Rep. Jeanne Ives
Greg Bishop / The Center Square

One of the three nonbonding ballot questions was the Assisted Reproductive Health Referendum Act, which asked voters if the state should ensure that health insurance policies cover access to in vitro fertilization. A second was the Election Worker Protection and Candidate Accountability Referendum Act relating to election interference.

Ives said most insurers cover IVF and there’s already laws that protect election workers.

"In 48 hours, just before the deadline for ballot initiative questions, they passed legislation that put three ballot questions that they wanted to block ours because at any one time you can only have three referendum questions on a ballot,” said Ives. “None of the questions were substantive, and in some cases they were replicative of what is currently in law.”

A third question that passed was whether millionaires should pay an extra 3% income tax to fund property tax relief. The three referendums that passed will not change state law. The Parents Matter Coalition question would not have changed state law either.

“We fell short mainly because we tried to do it in such a short time frame, but in four months we got nearly 100,000 signatures and it worried the Democrats that we might just be able to get on the ballot with our question,” said Ives.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 2412 in mid May, less than two days after it was approved by the House and concurred by the Senate. The law placed the three non-binding ballot referendums for Illinois voters. All three were approved by voters last week.