Obama's home state considers moving up primary date

The Illinois Speaker of the House told staff members today that he wants to draw up legislation that would move the state’s presidential primary date to one of the earliest in the country, a move that could help Illinois Senator Barack Obama if he decides to run.

Steve Brown, a spokesman for Speaker Michael Madigan, told the Globe that the bill would likely propose that the primary be held on Feb. 5, the earliest date allowed by Democratic National Committee rules. Currently, Illinois is scheduled to hold its primary in March.

“It has been a very popular idea and I would expect to see it pass,” said Brown. Madigan is a Chicago Democrat, but Brown said they never contacted Obama’s office to discuss the proposal.

Illinois joins California, Florida, and Michigan as large states that are considering moving up their presidential primaries.