Macon Reporter

The Illinois Republican Party has formed a coalition in opposition to the retention of State Supreme Court Justice Thomas Kilbride.

According to the Illinois GOP, the coalition is comprised of more than 500 elected officials, community leaders, and activists from across the 3rd Judicial District who are urging a vote of "No" on the retention campaign of Kilbride.

The Illinois GOP claims Kilbride is embattled House Speaker Mike Madigan’s favorite judge because he has been instrumental to the speaker’s amassing and maintaining immense power in state government and politics. Under Madigan’s control, Kilbride’s Supreme Court has sided with government insiders and special interests over taxpayers and blocked every major economic reform that could improve the state’s legal and business climates.

The release also says that Kilbride’s Supreme Court has blocked any challenge to Madigan's political power. Kilbride successfully blocked term limits in 2014, was the deciding vote to uphold Madigan’s gerrymandered map in 2001, and wrote the majority opinion striking down the 2016 citizen-led “Fair Maps” ballot initiative that would have given voters a say in redistricting and taken the power away from Madigan to draw gerrymandered maps.

“I’m honored to be joined by so many leaders and reformers in calling for an independent state Supreme Court where the people of Illinois have a fair shake," Illinois GOP Chairman Tim Schneider said. "Right now, they don’t. Justice Kilbride is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Madigan Machine. After receiving $2.8 million in campaign cash from Mike Madigan, Justice Kilbride delivered results that were great for the Speaker’s pursuit of power and disastrous for the taxpayers of Illinois. That’s why Kilbride is Madigan’s favorite judge and why he must be defeated in November.”