Opinion ID: 3135553
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: Mandamus is an extraordinary remedy to enforce, as a matter of right, “the performance of official duties by a public officer where no exercise of discretion on his part is involved.” Noyola v. Board of Education, 179 Ill. 2d 121, 133 (1997), quoting Madden v. Cronson, 114 Ill. 2d 504, 514 (1986). To be entitled to a writ of mandamus, a party must establish a clear right to relief, a clear duty of the public official to act, and a clear authority in the public official to comply with the writ. People ex rel. Madigan v. Snyder, 208 Ill. 2d 457, 465 (2004). We agree with the Secretary of State that Petitioners in this case cannot satisfy that burden. Petitioners’ claim is predicated on the Secretary of State’s failure to countersign and affix the state seal to the documents appointing Mr. Burris to the Senate. According to Petitioners, the Secretary owes such a duty under section 5(1) of the Secretary of State Act (15 ILCS 305/5(1) (West 2006)). Under the express terms of that statute, however, the duty to sign and affix the state seal only pertains to “commissions required by law to be issued by the governor.” There are situations in Illinois law where officer holders are specifically required to obtain gubernatorial “commissions.” These include county clerks (55 ILCS 5/2–2006 West 2006)), members of the boards of county commissions (55 ILCS 5/2–4001 (West 2006)), coroners (55 ILCS 5/3–3001 (West 2006)), sheriffs (55 ILCS 5/3–6001 (West 2006)), clerks of the courts (705 ILCS 105/3 (West 2006)), and commissioned officers in the Illinois State Guard (20 ILCS 1805/37 (West 2006)). No provision of Illinois law, however, requires a -5- commission to be issued by the Governor in case of appointments to fill vacancies to the United States Senate. The relationship between “commissions” and the Governor’s appointment powers was considered in an Attorney General opinion issued in 1978 at then Governor Thompson’s request. The opinion states: “To constitute an appointment to office, there must be some open, unequivocal act of appointment on the part of the appointing authority empowered to make it. (Molnar v. City of Aurora (1976), 38 Ill. App. 3d 580, 583; 63 Am. Jur. 2d Public Officers and Employees §99.) An appointment to office is made and is complete when the last act required of the appointing authority vested with the appointing power has been performed. People v. Lower (1911), 251 Ill. 527, 529.