By: Diane Benjamin

Illinois doesn’t care about passing illegal laws. They play sue me if you don’t like it, their oath of office is meaningless. HB 3337 is attempting to make Normal legal by changing the rules that ONLY apply to them. Equal justice under the law doesn’t apply to the citizens of Normal. It was passed by the Senate Committee who heard it.

Town of Normal staff doesn’t take an oath of office. One would think a City Manager should, Pam Reece hasn’t. Neither has any other director including the Town attorney.

The Town Council has taken an oath, but with the exception of Kevin McCarthy who testified as representing Normal in Springfield on this bill, the rest of the Council has been in hiding. This bill was represented in Springfield as having Council support without a vote ever taking place.

Normal has other legal problems I haven’t written about. This bill is meant to ERASE those problems. Here’s the story:

Illinois passed a new Constitution in 1970. Article VII Section 6(f) of the Constitution states Home Rule municipalities can only change their form of government, like electing or appointing officers, by referendum or as authorized by other law. Referendum is the only way, no other authorization exists: https://www.ilga.gov/commission/lrb/con7.htm

In 1972 Normal passed an ordinance giving the City Manager the right to appoint a Clerk instead of the Mayor and Council. That is why Normal currently has a Clerk that doesn’t live in Normal and therefore has no allegiance to the citizens of Normal. They failed to change that part of government by referendum, therefore the “professional staff” aren’t accountable to anyone you voted for.

Original as found in a FOIA request:

Current code – PDF page 10 https://www.normalil.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7696/Chapter-02—Officers-Elected-and-Appointed?bidId=

The same would apply to all other current City Manager appointed offices – like attorney Brian Day who did not respond to my email asking for clarification. Allowing appointments by the City Manager required a referendum. Day must agree since he didn’t answer me.

Big one:

When this bill passes Normal can pass an ordinance to appoint Council members. It’s really clear in the emails below. The first one is from the Illinois Municipal League, next Pam Reece responds. Note Koos and the Town attorney are copied.

Normal is paying a consultant to shepherd this bill through Springfield. Does McGuire Woods want to be known for pushing a bill that only removes the rights of Normal citizens? A professional consultant uses a GMAIL account? He’s also clueless since he originally believed it only applies to Cicero. It doesn’t apply to them at all.