Will Illinois take the lead in 17-year-old suffrage?

A movement by teenagers in Berkley, CA is pushing to get 17-year-old the right to vote in local elections. But a proposed Illinois Constitutional Amendment would give them the right to full suffrage, no strings attatched .

State Rep. Lou Lang is following the lead of the WVHS Youth & Government delegation, which twice has proposed a law to give 17-year-olds the right to vote. His proposed state constitutional amendment would make Illinois unique in allowing those age 17 to vote with no strings attached.

"I think we need to include more and more people in the process," said state Rep. Lou Lang, a Skokie Democrat and the amendment's sponsor. "I wanted Illinois to break new ground here."

The proposal comes as the youth vote has emerged with newfound political power this campaign season, particularly in the Democratic contest for president.

The Daily Herald reports that 11 states allow 17-year olds to cast primary ballots if they turn 18 before November's general election. Illinois would give new full-suffrage rights to 17-year-olds.

Here in Illinois, the proposal faces a long road, challenging history, and even if successful, 17-year-olds would not be able to vote in the November election.

First, supporters must garner support from 60 percent of lawmakers before May to get the question on the November ballot. Then Illinois voters would have the final say on the voting age.

It's been a while since the state's voters considered the issue. A 1970 Constitutional Convention in Illinois placed a question on the ballot for voters to decide whether the voting age should be lowered to 18 or remain at 21. Illinois voters chose 21.

A year later, as thousands of drafted teens were fighting and dying in Vietnam, the 26th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gave 18-year-olds the right to vote in any federal or state election. And that amendment does not bar states from lowering the voting age.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=141894

In California, teens have been rallying for local voting rights for the last few years.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dailycal.org/images/art/07.14.protest.KIM.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dailycal.org/article.php%3Fid%3D18999&h=490&w=404&sz=64&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=Vg822KhaH7rWNM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=107&prev=/images%3Fq%3D17-year-old%2Bvote%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

Personally, I have always felt in that revolutionary concept, of "No Taxation without Representation." If you pay taxes, which you are required to if you work and earn a wage, shouldn't you have a right to have a say in who is using your money?