Lake County Gazette

Sen. Craig Wilcox (R-McHenry) recently announced that he is co-sponsoring the Voter Empowerment Project, which proposes four constitutional amendments designed to give Illinoisans a more active role in the democratic process. 

In a statement put out on his government website, Wilcox said, “Members of the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus are working to provide Illinois voters with a stronger voice in their state government, and I am proud to be a co-sponsor of a legislative package that puts the power back where it belongs, in the hands of the people of the state. The aptly named 'Voter Empowerment Project' contains several constitutional amendments to allow citizens to take back control of their democracy and hold corrupt politicians accountable.”

The Voter Empowerment Package includes four constitutional amendments. SJRCA 13 is designed to end partisan gerrymandering in Illinois by establishing an independent redistricting committee. SJRCA 14 would allow citizens to initiate referendums on issues such as taxes and redistricting. SJRCA 15 would enable citizens to initiate referendums on newly-passed laws, as a check on the powers of a supermajority party. SJRCA 16 would enable citizens to recall elected officials. Currently, citizens only have the ability to recall the governor.

Sen. Minority Leader Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) has said that the goal of the Voter Empowerment Project is to enable Illinoisans to participate more actively in the democratic process.

A proposed amendment similar to SJRCA 13 was blocked from going on the ballot by the Illinois Supreme Court in 2016. The court ruled that the amendment went further than “structural and procedural subjects.”