SPRINGFIELD (WGEM) – The Illinois state Senate passed legislation Thursday changing certain election laws and putting three non-binding referendum questions on the Nov. 5 ballot.

The move furthered controversy in Springfield a day after the House passed the bill. All Republicans in both chambers voted “present” protesting the how the Democratic supermajority handled the bill’s process.

The bill originally changed laws surrounding the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services when it was filed on Feb. 10, 2023. Lawmakers, however, used a common process to “gut and replace” everything in the bill and turn it into an elections bill.

The bill took a new form Wednesday when state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, sponsored an amendment turning it into an elections bill. With just hours notice, the state House voted on and passed the bill Wednesday afternoon. The state Senate did the same a day later.

As for the substance of the bill, in addition to the three non-binding referendum questions, it would ban a type of slating process. Parties can pick candidates to be their nominees if nobody filed to run in that year’s primary. Once the primary election has concluded, the party can pick a candidate. The bill would ban that practice, including for candidates parties are in the process of picking or already picked for the 2024 general election.

“What we have here before us is an opportunity to end a corrosive practice where, strategically, people avoid primaries to see what the lay of the land is and then pick the candidate best suited for November after the primary has been settled on the other side,” said Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park.

Republicans see the bill as Democrats rigging the game in the middle of the 2024 election season.

“There’s only one reason to push major legislation like this through in 24 hours and it sure isn’t about good government. It’s to change the rules for an election cycle that has already started and a slating process that is nearly complete to stack the decks in favor of your favored incumbents,” said Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove.

The bill would also move the deadline to file petitions to 134 days before the election. It’s currently 106 days.

Harmon said the change is necessary as more people are voting early and by mail.

Curran said he agreed with the petition deadline changes.

The non-binding referendum questions cover three topics. One asks voters if they’d like the state to impose an addition 3% income tax on people making more than $1 million. Another question asks whether candidates should be subject to potential civil penalties if they interfere with election workers’ ability to do their jobs. The third question asks whether all health insurance policies in the state covering pregnancy-related services should be forced to cover infertility treatments including in vitro fertilization.

Since they are non-binding referendums, they will not change laws even if they pass. They only give the voters a chance to express their opinions on these issues.

The bill now heads to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature or veto.

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