Secretary of State Jesse White on Online Filing Fees

In a January 23^rd post , I wrote about Illinois Secretary of State premium/penalty for filing annual reports online.  The premium that Secretary of State charges for filing online is 50% above the normal filing cost.  Since then I had the opportunity to speak with Illinois Secretary of State Jessie White personally.

I gave Secretary White my reasons opposing his online filing fee premium.  I told him in an era of heightened environmental consciousness, his policy was anti-green.  It not only wasted paper, but required more fuel usage for mail delivery.  I also said that discouraging filing online meant more staff intensive handling of paper files.

Secretary White gave me the “Springfield Smile.”  The “Springfield Smile” is a look a politician gives you before he is going to pass the blame to someone else.  Secretary White followed his “Springfield Smile” with the response that his fees were set by the legislature. So, it was “out of his control.”  Secretary White’s response was disingenuous.  While it is technically true that the state legislature approves his fees, they act on his recommendation.

Perhaps a call, letter or e-mail to your state representative and state senator asking for an explanation of why Secretary of State Jesse White should be discouraging online filing might be helpful.

You can find the name of your state representative and state senator along with their addresses by clicking on this link to the Illinois Board of Elections.  

Disclaimer

This is a passive blog and the materials contained herein are provided for informational purposes only. Nothing contained in this blog should be interpreted as a solicitation of business and none of the information contained herein constitutes legal advice. The law is subject to change without notice, and the local laws of your residence may be different from the general information displayed on this blog. You should not rely on the information provided on this blog without first consulting an attorney. Contacting this website does not establish and attorney/client relationship between you and its publisher Christopher W. Matern.

An attorney/client relationship can only be established with Christopher Matern by engaging in direct person-to-person contact with Christopher Matern. Christopher Matern does not intend to practice law in any jurisdiction in which he is not licensed.