With a desire to start a serious discussion about the many large issues facing the State of Illinois, State Representative Tim Butler of Springfield has introduced a House Joint Resolution which would allow the question of calling a state Constitutional Convention to be on the 2018 Illinois General Election ballot.

 

Butler says the state has now gone over 700 days without a real budget and he pointed to the fact that last week the General Assembly once again ignored its mandated deadline to get something done for the people of the state.  He added that changes to our Constitution are needed to truly move forward and thus his call for an Illinois Constitutional Convention.

 

However, State Representative Bill Mitchell of Forsyth said there are a couple of reasons he does not favor the idea.  One being Chicago Democrats would control the convention.

 

 

Mitchell also believes the state’s problems do not lie with the Constitution but with the politicians.

 

 

The last state Constitutional Convention was in 1968. It led to the state's fourth and current constitution.