Unfortunately with the combine stealing the Governor's race last November, they've been really emboldened to feel they can do whatever they want to voters and face no reprecussions. I've been very disappointed with Maloney lately -- first supporting Quinn's massive tax increase, supporting the death penalty repeal, and now this.
The really sad part is he essentially runs unopposed, and has always faced no or only token "opposition" on the ballot. He was basically appointed our Senator-for-life. Every time a real, viable Republican tries to run, the combine pulls some dirty tricks and throws the guy off the ballot. Our most recent conservative GOP nominee was forced to run a write-in campaign in the last election.
This Senate district was held by one of the most conservative Illinois State Senators prior to 2003, Pat O'Malley. He was one of the "fab five" of conservative reformers who opposed the GOP establishment (along with Chris Lauzen, Steve Rauschenberger, Dave Syverson and Peter Fitzgerald) and was the conservative choice in the 2002 GOP governor primary. Of course, since the RATs took this seat, the state party has written it off and never spends a cent trying to get it back.
That's the reality of state and local politics. Those who oppose term limits on the theory that "we can term limit them ourselves at the ballot box" and want to repeal the 17th amendment because they think state legislatures care about the best interests of their citizens need to take a long hard look at how state government is actually run.
Personally I'd like to require those "states rights" conservatives spend a few months watching how my state government operates.
It’s nice to see the scared out of passing something for once.