Legislative Cutback Amendment

It was touted as a way to reduce the size of the Illinois State Legislature in 1980 by eliminating multiple-member House districts and the cumulative voting system used to select representatives then replacing them with single-member districts with reps chosen in the same manner as for all other offices.

But that resulted in more rigid partisanship, as representatives of the less numerous parties – Democrats in the suburbs and Republicans in Chicago– lost their seats.

Republicans who cared about Chicago schools, mass transit, and public housing were gone. And Democrats who hailed from GOP territory could no longer voice support for progressive state policies.

Lost were progressive Democrats Harold Katz of Glencoe, Eugenia Chapman of Arlington Heights, Dick Mugalian of Palatine, Anne Willer of Western Springs, Leland Rayson of Tinley Park, and Glenn Schneider of Naperville.

Also losing their seats were Susan Catania (sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment), Art Telscer, Elroy Sandquist, Bernie Epton, and other progressive Republicans.

Voters in Chicago and elsewhere fell for the populist rhetoric that sending fewer politicians to Springfield would be a good thing.