At the Cary Grade School District’s request, State Rep. Pam Althoff is attempting to gain permission to put an advisory referendum on the ballot that would include precincts outside the school district’s boundaries.

State Senator Pam Althoff is interviewed by Statehouse New Service.

Illinois Statehouse News has posted a short interview with Althoff in which the McHenry County State Senator explains the issue.

You can watch the three minute video here.

Althoff says she isn’t sure the topic of such a referendum, but that it might be “the possibility, perhaps, of annexation, and bringing in other areas within the school district that have to do with consolidation.  But what they’re looking for is a broader sense of the community and what the community is telling them of how they would like the school district to proceed.”

I can’t find the legislation, but Althoff reveals that it may end up in the omnibus Election Code bill that Democrats put together each year.

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Senator Althoff points me to Mike Tryon’s House Bill 3096. As it left the House, it looked like this:

Amends the School Code. Provides that the school board may authorize an advisory question of public policy to be placed on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled election in the school district. Provides that the question must be submitted at an election in accordance with the Election Code, but may not be submitted at a consolidated primary election.

Don’t you wonder why the Illinois House decided not to allow such an advisory referendum on a primary day?