Illinois Facts

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Illinois Facts

• Illinois first became a state in 1818
• Our first state capital was in Kaskaskia from
  1818-1820
• After Kaskaskia thecapital moved to Vandalia from
  1820-1839
• Then to Springfield from 1839 until present.

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ILLINOISSTATE GOVERNMENT

• RATIFIED BY VOTERS 1970
• SIMILAR FORM AS FEDERAL GOVT (3 branches)
• PROVIDES FOR AREAS NOT COVERED BY FEDERAL
  GOVT
• Local government
• Taxation
• Public education
• Elections
• Voting

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Articles I-II

• Article I
• BILL OF RIGHTS
• makes same guarantees to IL citizens as U.S.
  Constitution does to U.S. citizens
• guarantees that citizens will not be
  discriminated against because of sex or physical
  or mental handicaps

• Article II
• SEPARATION OF POWERS
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENTArticle III VOTING
ELECTIONS

• GENERAL ELECTION
• voting for members of General Assembly (name of
  IL legislative body)
• held every 2 years
• U.S. President is elected in general election in
  the years divisible by 4
• PRIMARY ELECTION
• each political party chooses its candidates for
  the general election

• VOTING ELIGIBILITY
• U.S. citizen
• 18 years old
• reside at least 30 days in IL
• people in prison cannot vote, but can vote when
  released

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENTArticle IV STATE
LEGISLATURE (BICAMERAL)

• Senate
• 4 year term
• 59 members
• 1 senator elected from each of 59 Illinois
  legislative districts
• Presiding officer is a senator chosen by the
  senate
• President of the senate

• House of Representatives
• 118 members
• 2 year term
• 1 Rep. elected from each representative district
• Presiding Officer is the Speaker, elected from
  among the 118 Reps
• Each person in IL
• lives in a legislative district a
  representative district
• is represented by one state senator and one state
  rep. in the General Assembly

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENTArticle IV STATE
LEGISLATURE (BICAMERAL)

• Our State Senator in Skokie
• 8th District Ira I. Silverstein
• Our State Representative in Skokie
• 15th District John DAmico

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENTArticle IV STATE
LEGISLATURE (continued)

• MAKING STATE LAWS
• BILL, a proposed law, must pass both houses of
  the General Assembly by majority vote
• BILL is then sent to Governor who will
• Sign it into law or
• Veto it
• Item veto allows the Governor to veto 1 or more
  items in an appropriation bill without vetoing
  the entire bill
• House of Rep. has power to impeach (accuse,
  indict, bring charges against) state officers in
  cases of wrongdoing
• Senate has power to try impeachment cases
• Each house in Gen. Assembly determines its
  rules and the qualifications of its members

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENTArticle V STATE
EXECUTIVE6 ELECTED OFFICERS
Qualifications25 years old, a U.S.
citizen, and reside in IL for 3 years

• GOVERNOR duties
• carrying out state laws
• signing or vetoing bills
• calling special sessions of General
  Assembly
• commanding the IL National Guard in peacetime

• LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
• must be of same political party as the
  Governor
• performs duties that are delegated by Gov.
  and prescribed by law
• ATTORNEY GENERAL
• legal officer of the state

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVERNMENTArticle V State
Executive Department (continued)

• Secretary of State
• maintains official state records as well as
  issues drivers and auto licenses
• Treasurer
• responsible for safekeeping investment of
  money
• disburses money upon order of the
  comptroller

• Comptroller
• maintains states central fiscal accounts
• orders payments into and out of funds held
  by treasurer
• fiscal refers to the recordkeeping of money
  and is a 365 day period that usually
  begins July 1 ends June 30

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Illinois Important Elected Officials

• Governor Pat Quinn
• Lieutenant Governonr Sheila Simon
• Attorney General Lisa Madigan
• Secretary of the State Jesse White
• Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka
• Treasurer Dan Rutherford

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVTArticle VI STATE
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

• 3 TYPES OF COURTS
• ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT
• APPELLATE (APPEAL) COURTS
• CIRCUIT COURTS (main trial courts)

• IL has 5 JUDICIAL DISTRICTS
• ILLINOIS JUDGES ARE ELECTED (EXCEPT
  associate judges who are appointed)

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVT Articles VII-VIII

• Article VII Local govt
• counties, cities, villages, townships,
  special districts
• Limited Powers of Local govt pass
  ordinances to protect people, license
  business occupations, tax borrow money
• States powers are greater than local
  governments

• Article VIII Finance
• Govt money must be used for public
  purposes
• Governor prepares budget
• Legislature (General Assembly) decides how
  money will actually be spent

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVT Articles IX-XII

• IX REVENUE
• NONGRADUATED INCOME TAX
• NO PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX
• PROPERTY NOT TAXED STATE OWNED OR GOVT
  OWNED
• SCHOOL DISTRICTS CHURCH PROPERTY
  CEMETERIES
• HOSPITALS NON-PROFITS
• State may sell bonds to raise money
  

• X EDUCATION
• Goal of education is educational development
  of all persons
• FREE EDUCATION through secondary level
• STATE BD. OF EDUC. plans educational
  program
• XI ENVIRONMENT
• IX MILITIA
• IL National Guard

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ILLINOIS STATE GOVT Articles XIII-XIV

• XIII GENERAL PROVISIONS
• person convicted of serious crimes cannot hold
  office
• candidates or holders of state offices must file
  their economic interests
• state of IL can be sued
• state money can be spent for public education

• XIV CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION
• voters in state must decide every 20 years if a
  convention is needed to change the IL
  Constitution. changes must be approved by voters
• IL General Assembly cannot change Article IV
  which would affect the structure or procedures of
  itself
• Voters cannot change Article IV which would take
  away powers of General Assembly

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More Illinois Information

• STATE OF ILLINOIS WEBSITE
• STATE OF ILLINOIS PAGE
• LEGISLATIVE LINKS
• ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT INFORMATION
• STATE OF ILLINOIS - PROJECT VOTE SMART
• ILLINOIS GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
• STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
• VITAL RECORDS INFORMATION - ILLINOIS
• CITY OF ROCKFORD
• AREA GUIDE - ROCKFORD
• ROCKFORD BOARD OF ELECTIONS
• ROCKFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY

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Comparison of U.S. Illinois
ConstitutionsLEGISLATIVE BRANCH (law-making)
U.S.
ILLINOIS

• U.S. CONGRESS
• House of Representatives (435)
• Power to impeach
• Begins revenue bills
• Qualifications 25 yrs. old, U.S. Citizen
  for 7 yrs.,
• resident of state.
• Term 2 yrs.
• Senate (100)
• Tries impeachment
• Qualifications 30 yrs. old, U.S. citizen
  for 7 yrs., resident of state.
• Term 6 yrs.

• ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• House of Representatives (118)
• Power to impeach
• Qualifications 21 yrs. old, U.S.
  citizen, reside in district 2 years
• Term 2 yrs.
• Senate (59)
• Holds trial after impeachment
• Qualifications 21 yrs. old, U.S. citizen,
  reside in district 2 years
• Term 2 or 4 yrs. depending on group

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Comparison of U.S. Illinois
Constitutions LEGISLATIVE BRANCH (law-making)
continued
ILLINOIS
U.S.

• U.S. Congress can levy taxes, declare war,
  borrow money, coin money
• U.S. Congress can override a veto with a
  vote of 2/3
• U.S. Congress cannot suspend writ of habeas
  corpus, pass bill of attainder or ex post
  facto laws

• IL General Assembly can override a veto with a
  vote of 3/5
• Laws passed by IL General Assembly take affect
  July 1 of next calendar year unless there is a
  3/5 vote to change the date

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Comparison of U.S. Illinois
ConstitutionsJUDICIAL BRANCH
U.S.
ILLINOIS

• U.S. SUPREME COURT
• Appointed
• 9 Justices
• Lifetime term
• U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
• U.S. District Courts

• IL SUPREME COURT
• Elected
• Qualifications U.S. Citizen, Licensed Lawyer,
  Resident of Unit in which elected
• 7 Judges
• 10 yr. term
• IL Appellate Courts
• IL Trial Courts

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Comparison of U.S. Illinois
Constitutions EXECUTIVE BRANCH
ILLINOIS
U.S.

• UNITED STATES
• PRESIDENT
• 35 yrs. old
• 14 yrs. resident of U.S.
• natural born citizen
• 4 YR. term
• Appoints ambassadors, etc.
• Commander-in-Chief of U.S. Military
• Veto bills (10 days or becomes a law)
• VICE-PRES.
• ORDER OF SUCCESSION Vice-pres., Speaker of
  House, Pres. pro tempore

• ILLINOIS
• GOVERNOR
• 25 yrs. old
• U.S. citizen
• Resident of state for 3 yrs.
• 4 yr. term
• Appoints Dept. Heads, etc.
• Commander-in-.Chief of IL National Guard
• Veto bills (60 days or becomes a law)
• LIEUTENANT-GOVERNOR
• ORDER OF SUCCESSION Lieutenant-Gov., Attorney
  General, Secretary of State

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Comparison of U.S. Illinois
ConstitutionsMAJOR DIFFERENCES
U.S.
ILLINOIS

• UNITED STATES
• PRESIDENT
• JUDGES APPOINTED (9)
• BILL OF RIGHTS Amendmets 1-10
• 1789
• AMENDING APPROVED BY STATES
• AMENDMENTS 27 - ADDED ON
• CONGRESS LEADER
• SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
• SENATE LEADER VICE-PRES.
• 435 REPRESENTATIVES to Congress
• 1 PER DISTRICT
• 100 SENATORS 2 PER STATE

• ILLINOIS
• GOVERNOR
• JUDGES ELECTED (7)
• BILL OF RIGHTS Article I
• 1970
• AMENDING APPROVED BY VOTERS
• AMENDMENTS INSERTED IN
• GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEADER
• SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE
• SENATE LEADER PRES. of SENATE
• 118 REPRESENTATIVES to Gen. Assem
• 1 PER DISTRICT
• 59 SENATORS 1 PER DISTRICT

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THE END

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