• Font Size    

CBS 2 Most Popular Pages

Jewish Celebrities
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Bill To Dislodge Burris With Election Fails

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Mar 5, 2009 2:10 pm US/Central

Bill To Dislodge Burris With Election Fails

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) ― A move to end Roland Burris' temporary appointment as a U.S. senator and hold a special election has failed in the Illinois Legislature.

A state Senate subcommittee voted 3-2 along party lines Thursday to reject it.

Democrats argued an election would cost too much. They presented prices up to $100 million -- double the earlier estimates.

Some also accused Republicans of unfairly targeting the nation's only black senator.

But Republicans say Burris was tarnished by accepting an appointment from disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich. They want voters to choose.

Right now, Illinois law lets Burris serve until January 2011. The legislation would have ended his appointment and set up a spring election to pick a new senator. 

The bill is SB285. On the Net: www.ilga.gov.

(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Editor's Picks

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.