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Common Cause today urged quick approval in the House of Representatives for the Democracy for All Amendment, .

The Senate Judiciary Committee’s approval of a proposed constitutional amendment that restores the ability to put sensible limits on political spending is an important step toward protecting and enhancing every American’s right to be heard in our political process, Common Cause said today.

Partisan politicians are building obstacles to bar blacks and other ethnic minorities from voting. This is hardly new -- historical policies like poll taxes and literacy tests were race neutral but disproportionately targeted Blacks, much like today’s anti-voter laws.

Common Cause was extremely disappointed to learn of the House Committee on Ethics’ decision to weaken disclosure requirements for privately-funded travel for members of Congress and staff.

House Speaker Michael Madigan scored a major court victory on Friday for the state’s power brokers. But if you look deeply, there’s a clear silver lining for the people of Illinois. Two proposed state constitutional amendments, one to impose term limits on legislators and the other to wring politics from the state’s legislative redistricting process, were tossed off the November ballot after a Cook County judge ruled them unconstitutional.

Measures that would allow Illinois voters to decide on term limits for legislators and a new political redistricting process can’t appear on November’s ballot, a Cook County judge ruled Friday, in a decision that could be a setback for Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mary Mikva decided the measures didn’t meet constitutional requirements and ruled them invalid. Attorneys for the term limits group vowed to appeal.