Rock Island Today

Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Sterling) recently commended Rep. Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) on social media for his statements opposing an election integrity bill on the Illinois House floor.

McCombie, who also promised an update on the budget, shared a video of Spain on Youtube encouraging lawmakers to oppose House Bill 716  (H.B. 716) in an April 9 Facebook post

 "I will be updating you all soon on the budget particulars but I wanted to show you this clip," McCombie stated. "This is Rep. Ryan Spain who will take the Western part of Whiteside County and my Rock Island County north of I80; he has been a strong voice for ethics and election integrity in Illinois!"

Spain remarked during his arguments against the law that he found it disingenuous to hear proponents assert that the legislation's objective was to ensure that the state's judicial branch elections were devoid of politics.

"You went about redistricting the Supreme Court in the state of Illinois and now here you are making further changes to rig the rules of the game and cheat the system so that it can benefit you in the next election," Spain stated, "I strongly urge a no vote."

H.B. 716, presented by Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) on April 6, contains a measure that establishes a Task Force on Public Financing of Judicial Elections.

This task group will examine the possibility of creating a campaign finance system that would enable public money to subsidize campaigns for judicial candidates in return for their voluntary compliance to defined spending limits.

The legislation also stipulates that during an election cycle, a self-funded political committee formed to support or oppose a candidate for the Supreme Court, Appellate Court, or the Circuit Court can't accept donations in excess of $500,000 from any entity other than the judicial candidate or the candidate's immediate family.

A similar measure states that an independent expenditure committee formed to promote or oppose a candidate for the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, or the Circuit Court may not take donations totaling more than $500,000 from any one source.

Additionally, H.B 716 specifies that political committees, organizations, and other groups that are not required to reveal their donors may keep their donations anonymous as long as the individual contribution does not exceed $500.

The bill passed both Houses on April 8.