Reclaim Democracy in Illinois


Jeff Smith, with a proven track record of fighting for fairness and election reform, will be a leader in Springfield for a better Illinois politics.

Representative Activities:
  • Legal work to fight racial gerrymandering
  • Research and writing on fair redistricting
  • Pollwatcher and legal troubleshooter in over 50 elections
  • Former Board member, IVI-IPO
  • Pro bono work with Evanston Citizens Ward Redistricting Committee
  • Writer on Illinois ethics reform issues
  • Developed and taught a course in Election Law
  • Multiple appearances on Evanston Public Service Challenge elections panel
  • Advice and representation on ballot access, voting rights, and fair referenda
  • Lifelong support of reform campaigns and candidates

In a state shaken by scandal, many candidates now want to wear the mantle of change and reform. Jeff has been there all along. He has taken a stand and lent his time and name to good government causes and underdog candidates when others shied away. From his work on anti-machine campaigns to his writings on reform, Jeff Smith has the track record of fighting “business as usual.”

On the state level, the overarching issue is Illinois's broken politics. A state has principal responsibility for providing the environment of commerce and community in which the people of a state can freely thrive. But without finding some way to stop our culture of "where's mine" from driving the agendas, we can't hope to get the new ideas and new faces who will tackle our biggest state problems: our threatened infrastructure, struggling mass transit, regressive tax structure, and school financing that pleases few. Fixing it is not impossible. It's simply a matter of political will.  -- Jeff Smith

Jeff’s Plan for Reclaiming Democracy in Illinois

(click highlighted links for deeper discussion)
Enact meaningful limits on all campaign contributions     
Key to eliminating "pay to play" is to shut the checkbooks of special interests. We need contribution limits no greater than the federal level for all state and local campaigns in Illinois, without exceptions for legislative leaders and caucuses.

Reduce out-of-control campaign spending through robust public financing    
What comes into campaigns is only half the picture. What goes out is the other half. The non-stop fundraising that leads to pay-to-play is driven by excessive, unnecessary, and unwise campaign spending. Is it any wonder we end up with excessive, unnecessary, and unwise government spending? Plus, the excessive barrage of political mailings and advertisements, most of it simplistic, much of it negative, and some outright insulting to intelligence, fatigues and cynicizes voters. Limits on contributions should be accompanied by limits on expenditures.

Any restriction on political activity triggers legitimate First Amendment questions. However, spending by candidates is not the same as individual speech. Reasonable regulations can apply when democracy itself is threatened by the purchase of elections.
Reducing the impact of private funds will make political playing fields more level, but requires the expansion of channels available to everyone. This means a robust public financing program. We ought to begin a pilot program as recommended by the Collins Commission.

In tough economic times, the instinctive objection to a system of public financing is economic, but public financing will save the public money. First, fewer funds will be spent on a noisy and disturbing election industry. More importantly, the cost will be recouped if we can repeal the “corruption tax” we pay under the present system of government-for-hire.

Put real teeth in laws to eliminate “pay to play”      

The procurement rules passed by the 96th General Assembly are a great step forward but still do not address situations such as handing an official an envelope full of cash and receiving a lucrative appointment, or support of legislation. The purchase of official action by way of campaign contributions should be treated as little different than a personal bribe.

Stop gerrymandering of our political districts      The gamesmanship of redistricting aggravates the disconnect between government and the governed. Even in a district as informed and aware as the 18th, many voters don't know the boundaries, or even who their representative is.

Voters should choose elected officials, not the other way around. Following the next census, an impartial body should draw maps from a common-sense baseline model that stresses compactness, contiguity, and community.
Move the primary from winter to late spring    
The early February Tuesday primary makes campaigning difficult, and voting inconvenient. Making door-to-door and personal contact harder also increases campaigns' reliance on mailings and ads, putting a premium on fund-raising at the expense of human interaction. The early primary also immerses candidates and the public in a "perpetual campaign" cycle starting almost two years before an inauguration.

The primary should be no earlier than mid-May, on a weekend, to make the fundamental American right of voting easier, rather than a hassle that voters have to juggle against weather, work, school, day care, and rush hour traffic.

Treat independents and third parties fairly      
Right now, Illinois's political system is rigged to prevent competition rather than encourage a free-flowing marketplace of ideas. The two major parties will be more responsive in a system where voters have more choices. Petition requirements should be even-handed. The signature requirements for offices should bear rational relationship to the size of the district; there is no good reason why it should take more signatures to run in Cook County than it does statewide. Fusion voting should be explored as a way to mitigate polarization and the disenfranchisement of diverse viewpoints.

Implement universal voter registration      
Citizenship should carry with it the right to vote, period, without unnecessary barriers that only incentivize gamesmanship while burdening local governments with administrative costs. We now have the technological means to minimize the chance of vote fraud, and a state committed to democracy should be encouraging use of the franchise, rather than making it more difficult.

End stealth legislation through “shell” bills      
Concentration of power in committees, and public inability to track legislation, occurs in part because of the rampant use of "shell bills," legislation that is introduced with only token content, with the intention of substantially re-writing the entire bill late in the process. While a legislature must have the ability to amend and adapt, we should require bills to have relatively stable content by second reading, and that all legislation be public at least three business days before floor vote. The Open Meetings Act should also apply in some form to the General Assembly itself.

Require more frequent campaign finance reporting      
The existing system allows too long a lag in which candidates can raise money out of the "sunshine" of disclosure. The more frequent reporting, and more timely reporting of larger contributions, enshrined in the most recent reform package are a welcome improvement; this aspect will have to be monitored to see whether further transparency is needed.






Above: Jeff discusses the impact of money in politics at his June 28 announcement (click to play).


 


Above: Jeff interviewed on campaign contribution limits by EvanstonNow (click to play).



Further Writings by Jeff Smith on Political Reform in Illinois
What is Pay-to-Play and Why Does It Matter?
First Thoughts on the Quinn Reform Commission Proposals
Phony Reform Bill of the 2009 Session
Clean Up Politics Through Public Financing


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