From the Putback Amendment…
Over the past week, I have spoken at major events in Rockford, Springfield and Carlinville as well as events across the state about the Put-Back Amendment. We’ve been receiving petitions from almost every county in the state. The mood for real reform in Illinois is ripe and voters are fed up.
The Put-Back Amendment is the only opportunity that we have to bring real reform to the state of Illinois by:
- Enacting Term Limits for Legislators and Legislative Leaders
- Gerrymandering reform that requires competitive districts and let’s anyone submit maps
- Requires 7-day public viewing of all legislation before a final vote
- Allows 25 legislators to force a vote on any bill ending Mike Madigan’s ability to unilaterally kill legislation
- Provides election reform to end the ballot access games in Illinois
- Returns to three-member districts to provide for balanced and independent representation
House Speaker Michael Madigan recently said that Patrick Collins (the former head of the Illinois Reform Commission) wasn’t “qualified” to propose reform for Illinois despite the face he’s been a public corruption prosecutor and is well-respected for his work. I don’t have to let you know what he thinks our qualifications to bring reform are. We need to take back our government while we still can.
The good news is, we’re only 1 petition sheet away from having 500,000 signatures! If everyone on this list gets one sheet of signatures we will meet and exceed our goal of 500,000 signatures. Once we do, we will file this amendment with the state and it WILL be on the ballot in November. If we vote yes, it WILL be law.
If you are happy with the way the State of Illinois is working, by all means do nothing. However, if you are sick and tired of the chronic corruption, dysfunction and insanity out of Springfield then it is time to stand up and be counted. The only way this can get on the ballot is you. If we do nothing, the status quo prevails. Will you stand with me and fight for a better state?
Getting even one sheet is very helpful, but by all means get as much as you can. However, the LAST DAY to send a completed and notarized petition sheet back is APRIL 19, 2010. This is so we have time to assemble the package to file it by April 30, 2010
Together, we can take back our state and end the era of Chicago politics in Springfield. Can I count on your support?
Sincerely,
John Bambenek
Principal Author, Put-Back Amendment
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P.S. As with all campaigns, money is needed to cover incidental expenses. We don’t have paid staff, but we have large amounts of printing costs and office expenses. If we file 500,000 signatures, just the copying for that would be around $20,000. Please consider a donation, you can make one electronically here.