Illinois Rejects New Constitution

Abstract

Illinois Rejects New Constitution. On December 12, 1922, the people of Illinois rejected a proposed new constitution by a vote of about 900,000 to 200,000. A former note in this REVIEW (Vol. 15, p. 258) called attention to the earlier stages of the Illinois constitutional convention, and indicated the issues that were then important in the work of that convention. The convention assembled on January 6, 1920, and did not complete its labors until September 12, 1922. The most important new features of the rejected constitution are the following: (1) The present constitution of Illinois provides for a general property tax, and does not permit classification of property for this purpose, or the use of an income tax. The proposed constitution would have permitted the substitution of an income tax on intangibles for the general property tax upon this property; and would also have authorized a general income tax on all net incomes, in addition to other taxes. (2) The proposed constitution consolidated the courts of Cook County, simplified to some extent the organization of courts in other parts of the state, and gave the supreme court power to make rules of pleading, practice, and procedure. (3) Under the rejected constitution Chicago would have been given power to frame its own charter, and would also have received powers of municipal home rule. (4) Under the present constitution, representation in both houses of the general assembly is based upon population; but no reapportionment has taken place since 1901, and Cook County with 47 per cent of the population has but 37 per cent of the representation in the two houses. Under the rejected constitution Cook County representation was to be permanently limited to one-third in the state senate. In the house of representatives all parts of the state were to be represented in proportion to the number of votes they cast for governor. The cumulative plan would have disappeared and members of the house of representatives would have been elected from single districts. In future constitutional conventions Cook County was to be limited to 45 out of 121 members.