Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan’s office will drop its defense of a controversial plan to take election-running powers from the Lake County clerk and create a new government commission instead. A lower court had previously struck down part of a law that would create the new government, and Madigan’s office appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court because the attorney general is responsible for defending state laws. Madigan spokeswoman Natalie Bauer said Thursday the office would drop that appeal.
The commission created a local political scuffle in Lake County after being approved by lawmakers in 2013. It was seen as a political move targeting Republican Clerk Willard Helander.
Democratic State Sen. Terry Link, a Waukegan Democrat, has denied the idea was his.
Its creation was tucked away in two paragraphs of a sweeping piece of statewide elections legislation.
Full Article: Madigan won’t defend Lake County election commission – DailyHerald.com.