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News :: Elections & Legislation |
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Prairie Greens File Suit Against Champaign County Officials |
Current rating: 2 |
by Ken Urban
Email: kenurban (nospam) kenurban.com (verified) |
26 Dec 2003
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Four members of the Prairie Green Party of East Central Illinois filed papers to sue for established party status in the 2004 election cycle. Suit was filed against John Piland, State's Attorney, Linda Frank, Curcuit Clerk and Mark Shelden, County Clerk. The County Clerk refused to accept the petitions to place the candidates on the ballot for the March 16 primary. |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday December 26
Prairie Greens File Suit Against Champaign County Officials
Contact:
Ken Urban, phone: 217-356-7987, e-mail: kenurban (at) kenurban.com
Dale Strough, phone 815-432-4821
Four members of the Prairie Green Party of East Central Illinois filed papers to sue for established party status in the 2004 election cycle. Suit was filed against John Piland, State's Attorney, Linda Frank, Curcuit Clerk and Mark Shelden, County Clerk. The County Clerk refused to accept the petitions to place the candidates on the ballot for the March 16 primary.
Plantiffs Ken Urban, Al Weiss, John Paul Schmit, and Jennifer Walling each 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 county board in District 7. They are being represented by Attorney Dale Strough.
County Clerk Mark Shelden rejected the petitions, arguing that the Green Party is not established in Champaign County. The candidates counter that the 2002 Congressional candidacy of Carl Estabrook established the party at the county level. Estabrook earned 8.7% of the vote in Champaign County, far more than the established party threshold of 5%. The legal question revolves around whether a Congressional campaign can establish a party at the county level.
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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