                 CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS
                        (as amended to 1970)

                              PREAMBLE

   We, the people of the State of Illinois - grateful to Almighty God for the 
civil, political and religious liberty which He has permitted us to enjoy and 
seeking His blessing upon our endeavors - in order to provide for the health, 
safety  and  welfare  of the people;  maintain a representative  and  orderly 
government;  eliminate  poverty  and inequality;  assure  legal,  social  and 
economic  justice;  provide  opportunity for the fullest development  of  the 
individual; insure domestic tranquility; provide for the common defense;  and 
secure  the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity -  do  ordain 
and establish this Constitution for the State of Illinois.

                              ARTICLE I

                           BILL OF RIGHTS

Section  1.    All  men are by nature free and independent and  have  certain 
inherent and inalienable rights among which are life, liberty and the pursuit 
of  happiness.  To  secure  these  rights and  the  protection  of  property, 
governments  are  instituted among men,  deriving their just powers from  the 
consent of the governed.

Section 2.   No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without 
due process of law nor be denied the equal protection of the laws.

Section  3.    The  free exercise and enjoyment of religious  profession  and 
worship, without discrimination,  shall forever be guaranteed,  and no person 
shall  be  denied any civil or political right,  privilege  or  capacity,  on 
account  of  his  religious opinions;  but the liberty of  conscience  hereby 
secured shall not be construed to dispense with oaths or affirmations, excuse 
acts of licentiousness,  or justify practices inconsistent with the peace and 
safety  of  the State.  No person shall be required to attend or support  any 
ministry or place of worship against his consent, nor shall any preference by 
[probably  should  read "be"]  given by law to any religious denomination  or 
mode of worship.

Section  4.    All  persons  may  speak,  write  and  publish  freely,  being 
responsible  for the abuse of that liberty.  In trials for libel,  both civil 
and criminal, the truth, when published with good motives and for justifiable 
ends, shall be a sufficient defense.

Section 5.   The people have the right to assemble in a peaceable manner,  to 
consult  for  the  common  good,  to  make  known  their  opinions  to  their 
representatives and to apply for redress of grievances.

Section  6.    The people shall have the right to be secure in their persons, 
houses, papers and other possessions against unreasonable searches, seizures, 
invasions  of  privacy  or interceptions of communications  by  eavesdropping 
devices  or  other  means.  No warrant shall issue  without  probable  cause, 
supported  by affidavit particularly describing the place to be searched  and 
the persons or things to be seized.

Section 7.    No person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense unless 
on indictment of a grand jury,  except in cases in which the punishment is by 
fine  or  by  imprisonment  other  than in  the  penitentiary,  in  cases  of 
impeachment,  and  in cases arising in the militia when in actual service  in 
time  of  war or public danger.  The General Assembly by law may abolish  the 
grand jury or further limit its use.   No person shall be held to answer for 
a  crime  punishable by death or by imprisonment in the  penitentiary  unless 
either  the initial charge has been brought by indictment of a grand jury  or 
the  person has been given a prompt preliminary hearing to establish probable 
cause.

Section  8.    In criminal prosecutions,  the accused shall have the right to 
appear and defend in person and by counsel; to demand the nature and cause of 
the  accusation and have a copy thereof;  to meet the witnesses face to  face 
and to have process to compel the attendance of witnesses in his behalf;  and 
to have a speedy public trial by an impartial jury of the county in which the 
offense is alleged to have been committed.

Section 9.   All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for 
capital  offenses  where the proof is evident or the presumption  great.  The 
privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases 
of rebellion or invasion when the public safety may require it.

Section 10.  No person shall be compelled in a criminal case to give evidence 
against himself nor be twice put in jeopardy for the same offense.

Section  11.   All  penalties  shall  be determined  both  according  to  the 
seriousness  of the offense and with the objective of restoring the  offender 
to  useful  citizenship.  No  conviction shall work corruption  of  blood  or 
forfeiture of estate.  No person shall be transported out of the State for an 
offense committed within the State.

Section  12.   Every  person shall find a certain remedy in the laws for  all 
injuries  and wrongs which he receives to his person,  privacy,  property  or 
reputation. He shall obtain justice by law, freely, completely, and promptly.

Section  13.   The right of trial by jury as heretofore enjoyed shall  remain 
inviolate.

Section  14.   No  person shall be imprisoned for debt unless he  refuses  to 
deliver  up  his estate for the benefit of his creditors as provided  by  law 
unless there is a strong presumption of fraud.  No person shall be imprisoned 
for  failure  to  pay a fine in a criminal case unless he has  been  afforded 
adequate  time  to  make  payment,  in installments  if  necessary,  and  has 
willfully failed to make payment.

Section  15.   Private property shall not be taken or damaged for public  use 
without  just  compensation as provided by law.  Such compensation  shall  be 
determined by a jury as provided by law.

Section  16.   No  ex  post facto law,  or law impairing  the  obligation  of 
contracts or making an irrevocable grant of special privileges or immunities, 
shall be passed.

Section 17.   All persons shall have the right to be free from discrimination 
on the basis of race, color,  creed,  national ancestry and sex in the hiring 
and promotion practices of any employer or in the sale or rental of property.
   These  rights are enforceable without action by the General Assembly,  but 
the  General Assembly by law may establish reasonable exemptions relating  to 
these rights and provide additional remedies for their violation.

Section 18.  The equal protection of the laws shall not be denied or abridged 
on  account  of sex by the State or its units of local government and  school 
districts.

Section  19.   All  persons with a physical or mental handicap shall be  free 
from  discrimination in the sale or rental of property and shall be free from 
discrimination  unrelated to ability in the hiring and promotion practices of 
any employer.

Section  20.   To  promote individual dignity,  communications  that  portray 
criminality, depravity or lack of virtue in, or that incite violence, hatred, 
abuse  or hostility toward,  a person or group of persons by reason of or  by 
reference to religious, racial, ethnic,  national or regional affiliation are 
condemned.

Section  21.   No  soldier  in time of peace shall be quartered  in  a  house 
without  the consent of the owner;  nor in time of war except as provided  by 
law.

Section  22.   Subject only to the police power,  the right of the individual 
citizen to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Section  23.   A  frequent recurrence to the fundamental principles of  civil 
government is necessary to preserve the blessings of liberty. These blessings 
cannot  endure  unless  the people recognize their  corresponding  individual 
obligations and responsibilities.

Section 24.  The enumeration in this Constitution of certain rights shall not 
be  construed to deny or disparage others retained by the individual citizens 
of the State.

                              ARTICLE II

                       THE POWERS OF THE STATE

Section 1.    The legislative,  executive and judicial branches are separate. 
No branch shall exercise powers properly belonging to another.

Section  2.    The  enumeration in this Constitution of specified powers  and 
functions  shall  not  be  construed  as a  limitation  of  powers  of  state 
government

