State Rep. Jehan Gordon (D-Peoria) is working to expand the ability of the voters to replace elected officials who do not live up to the standards expected of them by establishing the option of recalling any elected official.

“Voters have overwhelmingly shown their support for recalling a governor and for the ability to hold elected officials accountable,” Gordon said. “We must hold all elected officials to the same high standards. Voters should not have to wait for the end of a term to be able to remove an elected official who has lost the public’s trust.”

House Bill 97 would allow for the recall of an elected official at any level of government. The legislation would apply to any elected official who has at least eighteen months left on their term in office. In order for a recall measure to be placed on the ballot, 20 percent of all registered voters in the government’s jurisdiction must sign a petition calling for the recall of a specific official, and petitions must be filed with the appropriate local election official within sixty-one days of the next regularly scheduled election.

This fall, Illinoisans by a large margin approved House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 31, which would establish a process for recalling the state’s executive officer. Motivated by the disgraceful terms of Rod Blagojevich and George Ryan, Illinois became the 19th state to offer citizens the right to recall their governor. Gordon believes the recall option should apply to every person who holds elected office.

“The citizens of our state deserve the right to remove any elected official from office when they are not fulfilling the oath they swore,” Gordon added. “These elected officials should not be allowed to waste taxpayers funds while they remain in office. Instead we need a system of recall in place to remove and replace them with someone who will show a greater devotion to the spirit of public service.”

For more information on House Bill 97 or to submit ideas for legislation, contact Rep. Gordon’s constituent service office at (309) 681-1992.