Should voters have the chance to pick GOP leadership?

SPRINGFIELD - A suburban lawmaker's plan that would let Republican voters choose the party's state central committee was narrowly approved by an Illinois Senate committee on Tuesday.

"In the Republican Party we either believe in one person, one vote or we don't," said plan sponsor state Sen. Chris Lauzen, an Aurora Republican. "This is not a radical proposal."

But ironically, Lauzen needed four of the five Democrats on the nine-member Senate Elections Committee to advance the plan. Only one Republican - state Sen. David Luechtefeld of downstate Okawville - voted for the proposal.

The Republican Party organization is vehemently opposed to the plan, which would turn the choice of the central committee over to Republican primary voters. Now, ward and precinct leaders choose the Republican state party leaders. Democratic primary voters already choose that party's statewide leadership.

"I'm not sure there's a precedent for a Democrat-led committee to change the rules of the Republican Party when that party opposes it," said Fayette County's Randy Pollard, president of the Illinois Republican County Chairman's Association.

A similar plan was rejected at the GOP state convention in 2008, and approving this plan is a plot "to use Democrat lawmakers to overturn a Republican election," Pollard said.

One state representative saw an even bigger conspiracy at work. Rep. Angelo "Skip" Saviano, an Elmwood Park Republican, said Democratic leadership in the state wanted the plan passed by the Senate as soon as possible so Democrats can hold it over the heads of Republican leadership during budget negotiations.

But state Sen. Maggie Crotty, the committee chairwoman, began shaking her head "no" as soon as Saviano began speaking.

"This is being brought to this committee by a Republican sponsor. This is not something that was drawn up by the Democrats and brought here," said Crotty, an Oak Forest Democrat.

However, Republican Party Chairman Andy McKenna sounded a legal warning to those advancing the proposal.

"Time and time again, the United States Supreme Court has made absolutely clear that political parties have the fundamental right under the First Amendment to control their own affairs, including their nominating processes," McKenna said in an e-mail to the Daily Herald."We will not tolerate this encroachment of our rights, and we strongly encourage those responsible for this measure to reconsider before it is too late.

The proposal now advances to the full Senate, where Lauzen said he expects it will pass.