16-12 vote ends La Salle County's brief Sharia law dispute
The county board reversed its October decision, citing legal advice that the measure was unconstitutional and vulnerable to lawsuits.
By Dominic Foster ·
La Salle County residents will no longer have a formal board resolution on their records that opposes the application of Islamic Sharia law in local proceedings. The county board voted 16 to 12 on Wednesday to rescind the measure, undoing a 13 to 12 approval passed on Oct. 8.
The reversal followed legal advice from Patrick Herrmann, the attorney representing the county. Herrmann warned the board that the resolution was likely unconstitutional because it named a specific religious legal system. He argued that government bodies cannot discriminate against any one religion.
"There's no better definition of discrimination than having one religion, one entity, out of however many religions there are in this world, but one entity is named in this resolution," Herrmann said. He added that a lawsuit would be required to trigger a formal declaration of unconstitutionality.
James Reid, the board member who introduced the original resolution, challenged the vote count. Reid argued that because specific notice was not given at the previous meeting, a two-thirds majority was required to rescind the measure under Robert's Rules of Order. "I don't agree with that," Reid said regarding the final tally.
Board Chairman Don Jensen countered that the item was listed on the agenda, which he said satisfied the notice requirement for a simple majority vote. After a brief recess to allow members to discuss the rules, Jensen confirmed the board would stand by the 16 to 12 result despite the disagreement among members.
During public comment, Reid read a statement from supporters who argued the resolution was non-binding and carried no legal enforcement power. He noted that similar measures in Congress, such as one from Rep. Keith Self, are not legally binding. Reid emphasized that the resolution did not prohibit anyone from practicing their faith or attending mosque.
"Those of us standing here stand by that resolution," Reid said, inviting supporters to stand with him. Briggs Kremsky read a statement from the US Patriot Society, which also objected to the original language. The group said they preferred having no resolution over one that degraded constitutional principles.
Michelle Peterson of Defend LaSalle suggested a compromise, asking the board to draft a new resolution combining both versions. Brian Dose, who supported the rescission, linked the vote to the county's response to the Fox River Resort closure in October 2025. Dose proposed a committee to address the tax fallout for Norway-area residents and said the board needed to fix the resolution before creating a new one with financial commitments.
