6 canonical passages across 3 cases, quoted by 19 opinions in total. These passages cluster together because the same opinions keep quoting them side by side — they state parts of one doctrine. The anchor passage is from Hooker v. Illinois State Board of Elections.
| # | Case | Flag | Canonical passage | Citers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hooker v. Illinois State Board of Elections Anchor | green | “only if the provision is ambiguous will we 'consult the drafting history of the provision, including the debates of the delegates to the constitutional convention.” | 4 |
| 2 | East St. Louis Federation of Teachers, Local 1220 v. East St. Louis School District No. 189 Financial Oversight Panel | green | “a court should avoid declaring legislation unconstitutional if the case does not require it , and the power to determine the constitutionality of a statute should only be exercised if such finding is essential to the disposition of a case.” | 3 |
| 3 | East St. Louis Federation of Teachers, Local 1220 v. East St. Louis School District No. 189 Financial Oversight Panel | green | “the legislature could certainly provide that, upon the expiration of the terms of office of the currently elected trustees, successor trustees will be appointed rather than elected.” | 3 |
| 4 | Hooker v. Illinois State Board of Elections | green | “if the language of the provision is unambiguous, we must give it effect without resorting to aids of statutory construction.” | 3 |
| 5 | Hooker v. Illinois State Board of Elections | green | “one contending that language should not be given its natural meaning understandably has the burden of showing why it should not.” | 3 |
| 6 | Jones v. City of Calumet City, an Ill. Mun. Corp. | green | “in the absence of a supreme court pronouncement on the issue, we turn to the plain language of the illinois constitution, which is the best guide to the document's interpretation.” | 3 |
A red or yellow flag on a member means the underlying case has negative treatment — for those, check the case page before relying on the passage.