Show us the bills (before voting on 'em)

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Bill Campbell, a gifted Illinois editorial cartoonist from Little York, drew a memorable cartoon in 1979 that humorously described crunch time at the Illinois General Assembly.

A cigar-chomping legislator holds a three-foot high stack of proposed new laws. He strains under the weight of the paper as some bills slip off the pile and fall to the floor. With sweat dripping from his brow, the man grunts, "READ 'em all? Are you crazy? I barely have time to VOTE on 'em."

A lot of things have changed in Illinois since that cartoon was drawn, but at crunch time, the Illinois General Assembly operates pretty much the same.

Oh sure, the General Assembly has an excellent Web site these days (www.ilga.gov). Citizens may easily track bills and learn their status. This is a great improvement over the past.

However, when the closing days of a session arrive, lengthy new bills still have a habit of materializing, seemingly from nowhere, and being rushed through the House and Senate in a matter of only a few days. Lawmakers barely have time to vote on them all, let alone read them.

These lightning-quick votes totally divorce the legislative process from meaningful public input. That's not the way democracy ought to work. Organizers of the Illinois Democracy Project are determined to do something about it.

This Springfield-based citizens group is pursuing an amendment to the Illinois Constitution called the Show Us Amendment, to be placed on the November 2008 ballot. It would require all bills, except those of an emergency nature, to undergo a 21-day waiting period before they can be put to a vote.

During these three weeks, Illinois residents would have a chance to review bills and offer their input. (Read more about the proposed amendment and why it's needed at www.showus.org.)

Organizers stress they aren't picking a fight with legislators or political parties. They liken Illinois government to a rough-running engine that just needs a tune-up.

We believe the Show Us Amendment is an excellent idea that deserves public support. Making it easier for residents to get involved in legislation could engender more involvement in the process, more public confidence in government and, dare we hope, an increase in voter turnout.