East Central Reporter

Changes to primary election fundraising, the electoral college, and the state’s voter registration database are now law after Gov. JB Pritzker signed a wide-ranging bill on July 1.

The legislation, containing several unrelated election measures, passed near the end of the legislature’s spring session with a vote of 68-38 in the House and 51-3 in the Senate.

A measure loosening restrictions on political parties’ spending during primary campaigns sparked pushback from some House Republicans during debate of the bill.

Under the new law, parties will be allowed to transfer an unlimited amount of funds to candidates during primary elections. In previous elections, parties were limited in the amount of money they could give candidates based on the office they sought. That provision was put in place in 2009 as part of a reform campaign by then-Gov. Pat Quinn, who took office after his predecessor, Rod Blagojevich, was removed from office following a corruption scandal.

Rep. Miller and his colleagues responded critically to this development: "We witnessed a direct attack against our democracy in Illinois. Progressive Democrats took a bold move to dismiss ethical practices within the General Assembly." He added that "SB2412 was a backroom deal presented to Republicans with zero transparency."

Miller further described it as "another bad bill from the 'Bad Idea Factory.'"

Read more about this story by Andrew Adams on Capitol News Illinois.