The Sixth Illinois Constitutional Convention, popularly known as Con-Con, convened on December 8, 1969, and concluded on September 3, 1970. The convention produced the 1970 Illinois Constitution, the state's first new constitution in 100 years, which the voters of Illinois approved in a special election in December 1970.

Election

The 116 delegates to the convention were elected in nonpartisan elections in the fall of 1969. Interest from candidates was high: over 500 petitions for candidacy were filed.

On September 23, a primary election was held, with turnout of 18%. The top four vote-getters in each of the state's 58 legislative districts advanced to the general election. The general election was held on November 18, 1969, with turnout of 27%. The top two vote-getters in each district in the general election became delegates. Candidates for delegate had to meet the same criteria as candidates for state senate, including being at least 25 years old.

The elected delegates included 13 women, 15 African Americans (two of whom were women), and 34 people under age 40. Fifty-six of the delegates were lawyers; there were also eleven educators, five farmers, and five bankers, among many other occupations represented. Ninety-six had college degrees.

The delegate elections were not without controversy. Some Chicago-area districts saw sharp battles between "independent" candidates backed by the Independent Voters of Illinois and candidates backed by the "regular Democratic party". In the 24th district on Chicago's south side, after coming in fourth in the primary, independent candidate Michael Shakman filed a lawsuit in federal court. He sought an injunction to prevent the city from requiring its workers to campaign for his opponents as a condition of their patronage hiring. The lawsuit was dismissed, but eventually reinstated, and gave rise to the Shakman Decrees.

Officers

The president of the convention was Samuel W. Witwer, an attorney from Kenilworth, who for that reason has sometimes been called "the father of the Illinois constitution". Odas Nicholson, an attorney from Chicago, was elected as secretary. Nicholson, an African American woman, was the convention's only officer who was not a white man.

The vice presidents of the convention were Elbert S. Smith of Decatur, Thomas G. Lyons of Chicago, and John Alexander of Virden. Alexander, who was 27 years old and had never held elective office, was the only officer to face opposition. However, he prevailed by a strong margin over his sole opponent, Betty Howard of St. Charles, who received only 29 votes from the floor.

Lyons and Nicholson were described in the press as representing "organization Democrats", while Alexander was described as representing the delegates who were under age 40.

Delegates

Over the 1969-1970 holiday break, Witwer assigned the delegates to committees and appointed a chair of each committee. There were nine substantive committees and three procedural committees. Witwer himself was an ex officio member of all the committees, and the vice presidents were ex officio members of the committees to which he assigned them.

Legislative district Name Committees1Samuel W. WitwerPublic Information, Rules and Credentials, Style and Drafting 1Frank Cicero, Jr.Revenue and Finance, Style and Drafting 2Lucy ReumLegislative2Thomas J. McCrackenGeneral Government 3John G. WoodsLocal Government, Public Information3Virginia MacdonaldBill of Rights 4Clyde ParkerEducation 4Anne H. EvansEducation 5John E. DvorakBill of Rights 5Anne WillerJudiciary 6Martin Ozinga, Jr.Revenue and Finance6James E. GierachExecutive Article 7Joseph A. TecsonExecutive Article7Roy C. PechousBill of Rights 8Ray H. GarrisonRevenue and Finance 8Thomas H. MillerSuffrage and Constitution Amending9Joan G. AndersonLocal Government, Rules and Credentials9Joseph T. MeekRevenue and Finance, Rules and Credentials 10Peter A. TomeiSuffrage and Constitution Amending10Paul F. ElwardRevenue and Finance, Rules and Credentials11Martin TuchowRevenue and Finance11Bernard WeisbergBill of Rights, Rules and Credentials 12Dawn Clark NetschRevenue and Finance12Malcolm S. KaminEducation 13Ronald C. SmithExecutive Article13Elmer GertzBill of Rights14John F. LeonExecutive Article14William J. LaurinoLegislative 15Thomas G. LyonsLegislative, Revenue and Finance, Public Information, Rules and Credentials, Style and Drafting15David E. StahlLocal Government, Public Information 16William F. LennonSuffrage and Constitution Amending16James E. StrunckRevenue and Finance, Rules and Credentials 17Harold M. NudelmanJudiciary 17Frank OrlandoExecutive Article 18Edward J. RosewellGeneral Government, Style and Drafting 18Leonard N. FosterBill of Rights 19Joseph C. Sharpe, Sr.Suffrage and Constitution Amending, Style and Drafting 19William A. JaskulaSuffrage and Constitution Amending, Style and Drafting20Victor A. ArrigoBill of Rights20Madison L. BrownLocal Government21Frank D. StemberkLegislative21Gloria S. PughsleyEducation 22Samuel A. PatchEducation, Style and Drafting 22James KempBill of Rights 23Richard M. DaleyLocal Government, Style and Drafting 23Leonard F. MiskaRevenue and Finance 24Odas NicholsonJudiciary 24Albert A. RabyBill of Rights25Francis X. LawlorBill of Rights 25Louis Marolda Executive Article26Thomas E. HunterJudiciary, Rules and Credentials26Clifford P. KelleyLegislative, Public Information 27Michael J. MadiganGeneral Government27Joseph RachunasJudiciary 28Philip J. CareyLocal Government 28Ted A. BorekLocal Government29Charles A. ColemanExecutive Article29Richard K. CooperRevenue and Finance30David LinnJudiciary 30Mary Lee LeahyGeneral Government, Style and Drafting31John D. WenumLocal Government31Mary A. PappasLegislative32Jeannette MullenRevenue and Finance, Rules and Credentials 32Jeffrey R. LaddJudiciary 33Stanley C. JohnsonRevenue and Finance 33Maxine WymoreGeneral Government34Robert R. CanfieldGeneral Government 34Betty Ann KeeganLocal Government, Rules and Credentials 35Harlan RigneyExecutive Article35Wayne W. WhalenJudiciary, Style and Drafting 36Louis James PeronaLegislative36Edwin F. PetersonLocal Government 37Paul E. MathiasEducation 37David DavisGeneral Government, Rules and Credentials 38Betty HowardEducation, Public Information 38James S. BrannenRevenue and Finance39Thomas C. KelleghanBill of Rights 39W. A. SommerschieldLegislative, Rules and Credentials 40Helen C. KinneyJudiciary 40Anthony M. PeccarelliLegislative, Style and Drafting41Louis F. BottinoEducation Committee41Arthur T. LennonBill of Rights42John L. KnuppelLegislative 42James S. ThompsonGeneral Government 43Lewis D. WilsonBill of Rights, Style and Drafting 43William R. ArmstrongGeneral Government, Public Information44Charles R. YoungExecutive Article, Style and Drafting 44Edward H. JenisonGeneral Government45David E. ConnorGeneral Government 45John C. ParkhurstLocal Government 46Samuel L. MartinLegislative46Donald D. ZeglisLocal Government 47Charles W. ShumanSuffrage and Constitution Amending47Henry I. GreenSuffrage and Constitution Amending, Public Information 48Clarence E. YordyJudiciary48William D. FogalEducation49Maurice W. ScottRevenue and Finance 49William L. FayJudiciary 50Elbert S. SmithBill of Rights, General Government, Local Government, Public Information, Rules and Credentials, Style and Drafting50Franklin E. DoveEducation 51Dwight P. FriedrichExecutive Article51James S. ParkerExecutive Article 52Stanley L. KlausSuffrage and Constitution Amending52John AlexanderEducation, Judiciary, Suffrage and Constitution Amending, Public Information, Rules and Credentials, Style and Drafting53Wendell DurrRevenue and Finance53Ray JohnsenLocal Government 54William F. Fennoy, Jr.Bill of Rights 54John M. Karns, Jr.Revenue and Finance 55J. L. BufordEducation55Henry C. Hendren, Jr.Suffrage and Constitution Amending56Ralph DunnLocal Government 56David KenneyRevenue and Finance, Public Information 57Clifford L. DownenRevenue and Finance57Robert L. ButlerLocal Government 58Matthew A. HutmacherBill of Rights, Rules and Credentials58George J. LewisLegislative

Outcomes

The voters of Illinois approved the convention's new constitution in a special election held on December 15, 1970. The constitution was approved by a 55.5% majority, with 37% turnout. Seventy-two downstate counties voted against the constitution, but strong majorities in the Chicago area allowed it to pass.

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