UPDATE: IL GOP Executive Director Nick Klitzing notified Illinois Review Saturday afternoon that "a volunteer web designer for the ILGOP revamped the website and took down some content, including the Code of Ethics, past meeting & event information, links, pictures, etc. that have not had much web traffic for some time.
"The platform was on one of those pages," Klitzing said in an email. "I didn't even know the platform wasn't on the website until you alerted me ... The 2012 party platform is the official platform of the ILGOP and will remain so, until the 2016 convention platform committee makes changes (if any)."
SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Illinois Republican Party's website no longer displays its most recent party platform, which was adopted at the state party convention in 2012. The Party's Executive Director, Nick Klitzing, had no comment when asked about the omission.
"Maybe they're just redoing the site, or updating it," former McLean County Chairman John Parrott told Illinois Review. "I hope this is the case, because it's very important for people to become educated on the values and positions that we as a party stand for."
Speculation among IL GOP observers is that the platform may have been removed because Republican Governor Bruce Rauner disagrees with several of its planks. The speculation is fueling concern that the Party may seek to scrub the platform of traditional, conservative issues such as abortion and sanctity of marriage.
READ A COPY OF THE 2012 ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM HERE
"Rauner owns the Illinois Republican Party lock, stock and barrel," another party leader who wanted to remain nameless, said. "Neither Rauner nor Kirk want to talk about social issues."
In place of the official platform is a section on the website called "What We Stand for" which has no reference to social issues, and is silent on the Second Amendment and immigration as well.
The omissions frustrate Macoupin County GOP Chairman Terri Koyne, a conservative Republican that has worked hard to develop her county's GOP prominence.
"The platform was presented, approved and ratified by the state convention in 2012. It is our party's standard until it is officially changed, regardless of personal opinions," she told Illinois Review.
Karen Hayes, a precinct captain in Cook County's Worth Township, served on the 2012 platform committee after being appointed by then-1st CD State Central Committeeman Steve Daglas.
"I can think of no logical reason to explain why the ILGOP Platform was inexplicably removed from the website. The Convention voted to approve a platform that much work, thought and discussion had gone into. I would like to know what happened,” Hayes told Illinois Review.
The 2012 IL GOP Platform includes sections on preserving the Traditional Family, protecting the Right to Life, securing the Second Amendment freedoms, promoting school choice and implementing legal immigration policies.
Hayes said she worked to have a couple of changes made to the platform, but one in particular drew particular attention:
The views expressed in this Platform, when accepted by the majority of the convention, should be the policy standard for candidates running as Republicans in Illinois. While we welcome Republicans that may not agree with specific planks, anyone elected as a Republican should strive to self-direct their activities and policy positions to uphold these principles as the unifying basis for the Illinois Republican Party.
Now the IL GOP's website features a simplified rendition of what it is and what it stands for:
GOP precinct committeeman David Smith, who also served on the IL GOP's 2012 Platform Committee, expressed disappointment that the work he and his colleagues did on the platform had been removed from public display.
"Those concerned about social issues in Illinois need to express their frustration with party leaders and then get involved in preserving those important planks in the 2016 Republican Party platform," Smith said.
In thinking about the next state convention in 2016, Hayes suggests the state party simply accept the national party platform as Illinois' state platform.
"The national party platform is conservative, and one that we should all be able to unite behind," she said.
Another GOP official agreed with Hayes' suggestion, and said another way could be for the state party to line up behind the candidate that emerges as the party's presidential nominee.
"If you can't unite behind a candidate, there's little chance of Republicans regaining the White House in 2016," the official said.
The Illinois GOP State Convention is scheduled for May 21 and 22, 2016 in Peoria. At that convention, the 2016 platform will be accepted or rejected by convention delegates.
