[Imc-radio] [Press Release] Green Party Members Prepare for Hearing in Suit Against Champaign County Clerk

[Ken Urban]

Green Party Members Prepare for Hearing in Suit Against Champaign County
Clerk

Contact: 
Ken Urban, phone: 217-356-7987, e-mail: kenurban at kenurban.com 
Dale Strough, phone 815-432-4921 

Judge Thomas J. Difanis will hear arguments Wednesday, January 21 at 9
a.m. in the suit against Champaign County Clerk Mark Shelden by four
members of the Prairie Green Party of East Central Illinois.  The
hearing is expected to be the only day arguments will be delivered. 

Ken Urban, Al Weiss, John Paul Schmit, and Jennifer Walling sued Shelden
for refusing to place their names as Illinois Green Party candidates on
the ballot for the March 16 primary.  All four plaintiffs submitted
petitions on December 15 to run for Green Party precinct committeemen in
Champaign County.  Urban also submitted petitions to stand in the
primary for Green candidate for Champaign County Board District 7.

County Clerk Shelden rejected the petitions, arguing that the Green
Party is not established in the county.  The plaintiffs' attorney, Dale
Strough, has argued that Shelden's interpretation of the law is
incorrect, and that Shelden overstepped his authority by unilaterally
rejecting the petitions.

The candidates argue that the 2002 Congressional candidacy of Carl
Estabrook established the party at the county level.  The threshold for
establishing a "new party" under state statute is 5%.  Estabrook
received just under 4% of the vote districtwide, but won 8.7% of the
vote in Champaign County.  Shelden argues that a congressional candidacy
can not establish a party at the county level, but the Green Party
disagrees.

"The election code makes no mention that the 5% threshold must be from
the political subdivision for county level established party status,"
says Weiss. "Indeed, the code explicitly states that established party
status in the county is based on the highest vote getter of the party in
the county irrespective of the office sought."

The case has potential ramifications beyond Champaign County.  Rich
Whitney, Green Party candidate for State Representative in the 115th
District in 2002, received about 6% of the vote districtwide and about
11% of the vote in Jackson County (Carbondale, Murphysboro.)  Green
Party candidates have already filed for precinct committeemen to form a
central committee in the 115th, but look to forming a committee and
slating candidates within Jackson County as well.

"Illinois law is about the most repressive in the country against third
parties," says Walling.  "This case is about guaranteeing our freedom of
association and equal protection under the law."

The Prairie Greens are a local affiliate of the Illinois Green Party, an
accredited state party of the Green Party of the United States.  For
more information on the Prairie Greens, visit
http://www.prairiegreens.org. 

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Ken Urban
Assoc. Prof., Computer Science
Parkland College

Office: B129A
           (217)-353-2246
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