SPRINGFIELD – As soon as this November, Illinois voters may be deciding whether or not Illinois should become the sixth state that does not have a lieutenant governor position.
State Senator Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) told reporters in a press conference at the State Capitol Tuesday that he expected Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 29 to be heard on the Senate floor later this week. SJRCA 29 would abolish the office of lieutenant governor in Illinois, adding it to Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Oregon and Wyoming, which do not have the office.
Cullerton was confident his measure would pass out of a Senate subcommittee Tuesday as well as Executive Committee Tuesday afternoon.
"As most people know, I have been successful regarding consolidation og local governments starting in 2013, when I ran SB 494 that looked to consolidate local governments within DuPage County. This is a followup on that effort. The savings we estimate will be $1.6 million a year."
The measure will go to referendum on this November's ballot if passed by the Senate and House.
"We have large bipartisan support for this, as it did in 2013," Cullerton said.
While Cullerton has yet to add any Republican senators to his effort, in the Illinois House, State Rep. David McSweeney (R-Barrington) has been working to add numerous sponsors to a parallel measure.
As of this morning, House Sponsors for HJRCA 5 include Rep. David McSweeney – Jack D. Franks – Jeanne M Ives, Thomas Morrison, Carol Sente, Andrew F Skoog, Michelle Mussman, Katherine Cloonen, Martin J. Moylan, Stephanie A. Kifowit, Deb Conroy, Natalie A. Manley, Frances Ann Hurley, Kathleen Willis, Sue Scherer, Daniel V. Beiser,John Bradley, Brandon W. Phelps, Jerry Costello, II, Tim Butler, Joe Sosnowski, Christine Winger,Barbara Wheeler, Terri Bryant and Mike Smiddy.
Having passed committee, McSweeney's resolution is ready for a House floor vote.
If the proposal were to be passed by the legislative chambers and then by voters, the amendment would go into effect before the next gubernatorial election. At that time, the constitutional succession order would then be governor, attorney general, secretary of state, and then "as provided by law."
Just before the last gubernatorial race, the legislature decided that the top slot and the lieutenant governor candidate would run as a team. That provision would, of course, be eliminated with the passage.
In Tennessee and West Virginia, the President of the Senate also serves as lieutenant governor and is elected from within the legislature.
