In two weeks, the IL GOP will be holding their quadrennial state convention, this time in Decatur. Many see this year's convention as new beginning, with leadership roles opening up and for the first time in recent memory, the convention platform committee has voluntarily pulled back the curtains for a healthy rank-and-file discussion of 2008 Republican platform planks. Find it here: Download 2008_IL_GOP_Platform.pdf
We at Illinois Review are pleased to have a part in allowing fresh air and sunlight into the process and thankful that state convention delegates will now have the opportunity to view the proposed 2008 IL GOP Platform before being asked to vote on it at the convention. This is in dramatic contrast to the way things were done when the Old Guard was in control (see Charlie Johnston's "For a Pro-Life Platform," Joe Behnken's "Should the Human Rights section be added back in?," Marilyn Rickert's "FairTax Resolution" and IR Editor's "The 2008 IL GOP Platform -- part 1.")
Congratulations to committee chairman Gene Dawson (also State Central Committeeman for the 10 CD) for opening the process and to platform committee member Joe Behnken for successfully working to add back in the Human Rights paragraph as discussed on Illinois Review HERE last week.
This year's plaform committee participants include:
- Joseph Alexander -- 15 CD
- Joseph Behnken -- 12 CD
- Michael Bigger -- 18 CD
- Gene Dawson -- 10 CD (Chairman)
- Dave Diersen -- 6 CD
- Tom Gooch -- 8 CD
- Michael Kenyon -- 14 CD
- Jan Klaas -- 16 CD
- J.C. Kowa -- 19 CD
- Linda LaFianza -- 9 CD
- Jerry Lewis -- 17 CD
- Elizabeth Martinez -- 13 CD
- Maureen Murphy -- 1 CD (Co-Chairman)
- Ruth O'Connell -- 10 CD
- Jeff Sargent -- 5 CD
- Brian Swift -- 7 CD
- Senator Dave Syerson -- 16 CD (Co-Chairman)
For comparison, the 2004 IL GOP Platform is found HERE on the IL GOP website.
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