Illinois Deserves Better
Illinois Deserves Better

Author: Bruno Behrend

Publisher: Booksurge Publishing

Published: 2008-05

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781419696732

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Is the case for an Illinois Constitutional Convention really IRONCLAD? On November 4th, 2008, Illinois citizens will have a once in a generationopportunity to call a Constitutional Convention. If you stop reading thisbook after this paragraph, please take away this singularly importantmessage. *If a better Illinois and a more honest government is your goal,then there is no intellectually sound reason to vote "No" on this ballotquestion. *This book will prove that proposition. The authors will take you through the trials and tribulations confrontingIllinois, while showing that our sad state of affairs is a direct result ofthe perhaps well-intentioned, but poorly written and conceived Constitutionof 1970. Unlike many who simply "curse the darkness" of Illinois politics, this bookshines the light of reason of how we got here and how to find our way back.The authors lay out a clear case that the problem with the IllinoisConstitution is directly related to its massive transfer of power *from* thecitizens *to* the Government. The book continues with numerous proposals that make for an elegant andconcise set of solutions to the problems that plague Illinois (complete withmodel language). The book has the audacity to propose that we return powerto the citizens of Illinois.Author Bio: *John C. A. Bambenek* is currently an academic professional at theUniversity of Illinois in Urbana specializing in information securityresearch particularly in the areas of identity theft, economic warfare,emerging threats and digital forensics. He is considered an expert in thefield and has been cited numerous times by the New York Times, WashingtonPost and other news media. He once was a guest on the Daily Show with JonStewart. Additionally, he is executive director of the Tumaini Foundation, anorganization that is assisting AIDS orphans and other disadvantaged childrenin Tanzania to get an education. It is his belief that education providesthe key to economic prosperity for both the individual and a society and isa strong advocate for effective education for youth. He co-founded the Illinois Citizens Coalition and wrote Illinois DeservesBetter because he believes the problems Illinois faces are systemic andproducts of a constitution that gives far too much power to the entrenchedinterests in the state. *Bruno Behrend* is a lifelong Illinois resident who grew up in Lake Forest,Illinois, graduated from University of Illinois (1983) with a degree inFinance and from IIT-Kent College of Law (1990). Mr. Behrend is currently the Host of the Extreme Wisdom Radio Show on WKRS -1220 AM broadcasting out of Waukegan, Illinois. The Extreme Wisdom Radioshow features cultural and political discussion ranging acrossinternational, national, state, and local issues, but with a strong focus onthe State of Illinois. The hallmark of the show is his commitment toallowing his callers to voice their views without rude interruption. The Extreme Wisdom Show is a great mix of college level content andconservative ideas, delivered in an intelligent, polite manner that mosttalk show hosts seem incapable of. He describes his show as a lesspretentious and less slanted NPR. Bruno has a background as a database consultant to the not-for-profitcommunity and was formerly Field Director for FreedomWorks in Illinois. He has abackground in various areas, including: Public Policy Research, DatabaseConsulting (specialist in fundraising software), Real Estate Investing andDevelopment, Corporate Seminar and Training Development. His current project is securing the passage of a referendum on theConstitutional Convention in November of 2008. Mr. Behrend is advocatingreforms that, if ratified, will return control of Illinois policy-making tothe citizens of Illinois by reducing the power of the dysfunctional Illinoispolitical class. To that end, Bruno has formed the Illinois Citizens Coalition, an IllinoisPolitical Action Committee dedicated to informing Illinois citizens aboutthe many positive opportunities offered by a Constitutional Convention.

The Illinois State Constitution
The Illinois State Constitution

Author: Ann Lousin

Publisher: Oxford University Press on Demand

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 0199766924

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Since Illinois became a state in 1818, it has been a microcosm of the country at every stage of its development, from its status as a "free" state in antebellum America to a state rich in agriculture and industry whose goods and services now travel the world. Illinois' four state constitutions have reflected its changing values. Illinois is currently one of the few states that have adopted a new constitution since World War II. This 1970 constitution has become a model for countries in Central and Eastern Europe seeking examples of modern American constitutions. The Illinois State Constitution traces the history of the state's constitution from its statehood in 1818 to the adoption of the state's fourth constitution in 1970. Ann M. Lousin, who has been involved in Illinois constitutional development and government for over four decades, provides provision-by-provision commentary and analysis of the state's current constitution, covering the Preamble, the Bill of Rights, and the various articles and amendments, including a survey of case law under each provision. Previously published by Greenwood, this title has been brought back in to circulation by Oxford University Press with new verve. Re-printed with standardization of content organization in order to facilitate research across the series, this title, as with all titles in the series, is set to join the dynamic revision cycle of The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States. The Oxford Commentaries on the State Constitutions of the United States is an important series that reflects a renewed international interest in constitutional history and provides expert insight into each of the 50 state constitutions. Each volume in this innovative series contains a historical overview of the state's constitutional development, a section-by-section analysis of its current constitution, and a comprehensive guide to further research. Under the expert editorship of Professor G. Alan Tarr, Director of the Center on State Constitutional Studies at Rutgers University, this series provides essential reference tools for understanding state constitutional law. Books in the series can be purchased individually or as part of a complete set, giving readers unmatched access to these important political documents.

Alaska's Constitution
Alaska's Constitution

Author: Gordon Scott Harrison

Publisher:

Published: 2021

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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This book, written for all citizens and voters of Alaska, summarizes the origin and evolution of Alaska's constitution, discusses how the delegates to Alaska's constitutional convention approached the subject of the various articles, and elaborates on key ideas, words, phrases, judicial interpretations, and political history associated with the sections of each article. It is essentially a guide on Alaska's basic law for those who want to learn more about the state constitution.

Keeping Faith with the Constitution
Keeping Faith with the Constitution

Author: Goodwin Liu

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2010-08-05

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 0199752834

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Chief Justice John Marshall argued that a constitution "requires that only its great outlines should be marked [and] its important objects designated." Ours is "intended to endure for ages to come, and consequently, to be adapted to the various crises of human affairs." In recent years, Marshall's great truths have been challenged by proponents of originalism and strict construction. Such legal thinkers as Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia argue that the Constitution must be construed and applied as it was when the Framers wrote it. In Keeping Faith with the Constitution, three legal authorities make the case for Marshall's vision. They describe their approach as "constitutional fidelity"--not to how the Framers would have applied the Constitution, but to the text and principles of the Constitution itself. The original understanding of the text is one source of interpretation, but not the only one; to preserve the meaning and authority of the document, to keep it vital, applications of the Constitution must be shaped by precedent, historical experience, practical consequence, and societal change. The authors range across the history of constitutional interpretation to show how this approach has been the source of our greatest advances, from Brown v. Board of Education to the New Deal, from the Miranda decision to the expansion of women's rights. They delve into the complexities of voting rights, the malapportionment of legislative districts, speech freedoms, civil liberties and the War on Terror, and the evolution of checks and balances. The Constitution's framers could never have imagined DNA, global warming, or even women's equality. Yet these and many more realities shape our lives and outlook. Our Constitution will remain vital into our changing future, the authors write, if judges remain true to this rich tradition of adaptation and fidelity.

Governor Richard Ogilvie
Governor Richard Ogilvie

Author: Taylor Pensoneau

Publisher: SIU Press

Published: 1997-12-08

Total Pages: 326

ISBN-13: 9780809321483

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In his second year in office, the Illinois Constitutional Convention produced the first new state charter in one hundred years. Ogilvie effected penal reform and was instrumental in upgrading the state's highway system. And in 1970 he established the machinery necessary to make Illinois a leader among states in the war on pollution.