Rauner appeals for term limits proposal on November ballot

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Republican candidate for governor, Bruce Rauner, is making a last-minute appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, trying to get his term limits proposal on the November ballot.

The ballot has to be certified in less than 24 hours and it looks like time isn't on his side.

The Rauner campaign for governor is stunned and hoping against hope the Illinois Supreme Court will reverse two lower rulings that a term limits question has no place on the fall ballot. The political newcomer was hoping to capitalize on what some polls suggest is anti-incumbent mood in the state.

"The power of incumbency is overwhelming and its failing to serve the people of our state," Rauner said.

Rauner said if Democrats like House Speaker Michael Madigan and Rauner's fall election opponent Governor Pat Quinn wanted term limits, they would have happened by now.

"Unfortunately, both Pat Quinn and Mike Madigan are united fighting against term limits," said Rauner.

"In 1994, I led the effort to get term limits on the ballot," Quinn said.

Quinn, whose initiative lost in court 20 years ago, does not support Rauner's proposal to limit lawmakers to eight years in office, because it also would change the sizes of the house and senate while increasing the governor's veto power.

"I'm for pure term limits," said Quinn. "I'm not for putting a lot of other things in there."

And the governor wondered why Rauner did not support the failed 2008 effort to re-write the state constitution.

"He was nowhere to be found. He's a phony," Quinn said.

"Pat Quinn is a phony on term limits," said Rauner. "He said he was for them, now he's fighting against them."

Rauner-backed lawyers have filed for an emergency hearing before the Illinois Supreme Court, hoping to reverse two lower court rulings and to get the term limits question on the November 4 ballot. That ballot is scheduled to be certified Friday.

"We think it's critically important that the voters have a voice in deciding about term limits," Rauner said.

The seven Supreme Court members are scattered around the state and not in session. They would have to meet by conference call to decide whether or not to hear Rauner's appeal and perhaps more important, whether to ask the state board of elections to delay certifying the ballot until arguments could be scheduled.

As it stands now, the ballot will be certified Friday, without the term limits question, because so far the courts have ruled it unconstitutional.