Rauner term limit effort stalled in court system as deadline looms

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Republican candidate for governor Bruce Rauner's petition drive to get a term limits question on the fall ballot was ruled unconstitutional by a Cook County Circuit judge.

With the clock ticking, Rauner's appeal is stalled in the court system.

"The Supreme Court should take up this issue and rule on it," Rauner said.

Rauner's term limits effort, on which he already spent many thousands of his own dollars, is bogged down in the state Court of Appeals. The deadline for getting the initiative on the general election ballot is Friday.

"We only have a few days left before the court needs to rule so we can get this initiative on the ballot for November fourth," Rauner said.

Rauner wants state representatives and senators limited to eight years in the General Assembly. The measure also would change the sizes of the both legislative chambers and make it more difficult for lawmakers to override a governor's veto.

"I'm a term limits advocate and was a long time before he was," said Gov. Pat Quinn.

But Quinn opposes Rauner's plan because of how it might affect the General Assembly and the governor's veto power. He seemed in no rush for the courts to rule.

"Well, the court has to decide based on the merits of the case," Quinn said.

"Our current governor has proven himself to be a phony on term limits," Rauner said.

Rauner also worries that if the Appeals Court should uphold the Circuit Court and rule against his term limits initiative, there won't be time for the Supreme Court to weigh in by the Friday deadline.

Even if he loses getting term limits on the 2014 ballot, the multi-millionaire businessman says he won't give up.

"The voters deserve to decide for themselves whether term limits should be in place in Illinois," Rauner said.

Rauner's petition drive collected nearly 600,000 signatures.

If the courts do not allow the measure on the November ballot, supporters would have to start over again.