Illinois law at center of normal township BDS referendum

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributor
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A central Illinois township is advancing a ballot question tied to Illinois’ anti-BDS law, underscoring how international issues are increasingly surfacing in local governance.

Leaders in Normal Township voted 31–21 to advance a BDS-related referendum, similar to efforts in other Illinois cities.

A 2015 law signed by former Gov. Bruce Rauner already restricts state investment in BDS-linked companies.

Public comment highlighted a divide between Illinois State University students and longtime residents. Chelsie Leffelman, who spoke during public comment, said her goal was to encourage constructive dialogue grounded in shared definitions.

“If we’re going to have a discussion, then we need to agree on terms,” Leffelman told The Center Square. “If we don’t agree on what a term means, then there’s no common ground to start from.”

Leffelman pushed back on claims raised during the meeting, arguing that key terms were being misapplied.

“Genocide was being used incorrectly. Apartheid was being used incorrectly,” she said. “If we’re not going to agree on what those mean, then we’re just talking past each other.”

She also voiced support for Illinois’ anti-BDS law, calling the movement discriminatory and inappropriate for public institutions to support.

“I’m a big fan of us signing that law,” Leffelman said. “We cannot be creating laws that are discriminatory or allowing taxpayer-funded entities to use their dollars in that way.”

Leffelman added that her remarks were intended to open, not shut down, conversation.

“I was there to have a good faith conversation,” she said. “The only way we’re going to fix this rift is if we do have conversations with people who disagree with us.”

The referendum’s exact language has not been publicly detailed, but similar measures in other municipalities, like Bloomington and Peoria, have asked voters to weigh in on whether local governments should align with or oppose BDS-related policies.

The debate has also raised broader questions about local decision-making, including the role of student populations in shaping policy outcomes in college communities.