State moves primary

Earlier voting a way to boost Obama

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

By Laura Camper

Copley News Service

SPRINGFIELD - Voters may have to trudge to the polls in sleet and snow after the Illinois Senate passed legislation that would move the state's 2008 primary election to February.

But it would give Illinois voters a louder voice in the national nomination process, which includes one of the state's U.S. senators, say proponents.

House Bill 426 sponsored by Senate President Emil Jones, D-Chicago, passed the Senate Tuesday by a vote of 48-10, after having passed the House March 28. Gov. Rod Blagojevich supports the legislation and has said he would sign it, said spokeswoman Rebecca Rausch.

Illinois likely will join several other states in a super primary on Feb. 5. The state's primary is currently scheduled for March 18.

Speaker of the House Michael Madigan, the House sponsor of the bill, first introduced the idea of a February primary earlier this year. Madigan said it was a way to help U.S. Sen. Barack Obama secure the Democratic presidential nomination, as well as increase Illinois' influence in national politics.

Sen. Dale Risinger, R-Peoria, voted to approve the move, he said, because Illinois' primary would be meaningless if it followed so many others that have been moved forward on the calendar.

"You don't want to be a non-player in all this," he said Wednesday morning. "I think Illinois ought to be a player."

He would prefer, he said, a federal law that prevented any primary from being held before "such and such" a date so the campaigning process would be shortened.

He admitted that the bill does help Obama, but added, "This is just one election. The next time there is someone from Illinois who is a Republican, it will help the Republicans."

With the earlier primary, he said, candidates will be forced to come to Illinois, which is a good thing for Illinois voters.

Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, echoed Risinger's reasons for favoring the move of the Illinois primary.

"The intent -- the reason - the purpose is to help make Illinois a player on the national scene," he said.

With the current schedule, he said, "the decision has already been made" before Illinois voters have their say.

He said having all the primaries on the same day, just as the general election is, would put all the states in play. He admitted, however, that candidates would have a more difficult campaign.

"This is Illinois," Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, said before Tuesday's vote. "We should be ahead of other states. Other states are moving up their primaries. What are we supposed to do, just stand pat? ... We're doing this for Illinois."

"I think that Illinois has taken a back seat over the years," agreed Sen. Frank Watson, R-Greenville. "I think it's the right thing to do."

Sen. Terry Link, D-Vernon Hills, said Illinois represents the diversity of the United States and should be more influential in the national primary process.

"Instead of sitting back and waiting and having it decided for us ... this time we can decide," Link said.

A minority of senators argued that the move would not increase Illinois' influence.

Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, said Illinois will still be just one of the pack nationally, but local elections would be affected negatively.

"This will make those campaigns longer," Righter said. "This will make campaigns more expensive."

Righter added that it was wrong to change the primary date to benefit one person.

Sen. Chris Lauzen, R-Aurora, noted that constituents already complain about long campaigns.

Sen. Larry Bomke, R-Springfield, who voted for the bill, said he doesn't think the earlier date will be a factor in local elections.

"If it helps (Obama) in the Democrat primary, I'm all for it," Bomke said, adding that his concern is that Illinois have a voice in who will ultimately be president of the United States.

Sen. Dave Koehler, D-Peoria, also voted for the earlier primary.

"Illinois is a bellwether state," Koehler said. "We should be in the mix."

Kent Redfield, professor of political studies at the University of Illinois at Springfield, said moving up the primary will help Illinois, even with all the other states that are doing the same. It will mean that presidential candidates will have to campaign in Illinois, he said.

"If we weren't moving, we would be even more irrelevant than we have been," Redfield said.