An end to schoolyard campaigning?
HB4565 was introduced yesterday on the Illinois House floor.
The bill as introduced would make it a Class 4 Felony to use school property for campaign purposes, any other provision of the code notwithstanding.
10 ILCS 5/29-12.5 new would prohibit political activity on any school campus with certain preexisting exemptions. A notable preexisting exemption is the allowance for election signage just outside of 100′ from a polling place on school property on election day, but sets up a potential conundrum for two groups that routinely use school property here in Downers Grove.
The Downers Grove Community Advocates have used the CHSD99 Administrative Center for their caucus meetings since it’s inception due to their connections of DGCA members and SB99 elected officials Megan Schroeder and Julia Beckman. While DGCA are not registered as a political group, they endorse and advertise for specific candidates in local elections. That end result of campaigning for specific candidates by endorsement and producing flyers could taint the first use of interviewing candidates.
The Downers Grove Township Democratic Organization meets regularly at the same CHSD99 Administrative Center. This is a registered political organization, and any meeting could be taken as a campaign meeting.
The bill was introduced and sponsored by House Rep. Randy Ramey, Jr. (R-55) of West Chicago here in DuPage County, and has, as is normal, been referred to the Rules Committee for initial vetting. The bill opens up a can of worms here and probably all over Illinois, as schools traditionally have made their facilities available for evening use and meetings by a wide variety of groups.
I think it’s a good idea to keep political action committee’s separate from our school system’s facilities. It’s time to make these PAC’s pony up their own dough to get their candidates elected and conduct party business. I thinks its ridiculous that any political party has the open use of D99 or D58 facilities to conduct their business. Thank you Rep. Ramey, I wish you luck with the passage of this bill.(you’ll need it)