Bill to change primary date moving ahead

COPLEY NEWS SERVICE SPRINGFIELD - House Speaker Michael Madigan's bill to move the Illinois primary date from the third Tuesday of March to the first Tuesday in February passed out of a committee Tuesday on a unanimous vote. House Bill 426 now goes to the full House for debate. Representatives brought up a few concerns, such as increasing the lame-duck period between the primary and general elections and inconveniencing districts that arrange their voting-equipment deliveries around the March primary election date. However, the concerns were outweighed by the chance to give Illinois a stronger voice in national elections, especially with an Illinoisan, Democratic U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, running for president in 2008. By mid-March, the presidential-selection process already might be completed. "I still think it's a good thing," said Rep. Kevin McCarthy, D-Orland Park. "It would be nice to make us a player in the national election." Rep. Timothy Schmitz, R-Batavia, agreed. "It's great. We're going to be in the national eye here in Illinois. The candidates are going to come here and they're going to have to ... campaign in Illinois," Schmitz said. TORRES-CNS-SD-03-06-07 1904PST