Mapes on remap reform
Tuesday, Aug 9, 2016 - Posted by Rich Miller
* The Tribune’s Rick Pearson went to the NCSL redistricting panel featuring House Speaker Madigan’s chief of staff Tim Mapes and a legislator from Iowa…
Mapes noted that Iowa’s homogeneous population doesn’t force it to come up with districts to support federal minority voting rights like Illinois and is able to have a much more streamlined process for making districts compact. […]
“Legislators like to be involved in this state on how they frame their districts. Whether they like all of it is another thing. But they like to be involved, and it’s still a big part of what we do,” Mapes said. […]
Mapes said those pushing the proposals “sort of claim to be nonpartisan.”
“But in my experience (being) around this business for a while, almost everybody’s got an agenda at some point. It may not be your agenda, but it will be an agenda,” Mapes said.
“So those (remap) initiatives have not done well as far as getting through the court system. And one currently in Illinois is before the Illinois Supreme Court, and I’m not a lawyer, but my guess is they’re going to rule pretty soon on that as well,” he said.
Classic Mapes. Word salads galore.
- Not Rich - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 11:41 am:
short and sweet..wonder where he learned that???
- A guy - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 11:51 am:
Bet the under. Not disappointed. The map making process with regard to including minority populations isn’t a challenge at all. They’ve become experts at doing that and impacting neighboring districts with some diminishment of exactly what they’re supposed to be protecting. Disingenuous on the most homogeneous day. /s
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 11:52 am:
=Mapes noted that Iowa’s homogeneous population doesn’t force it to come up with districts to support federal minority voting rights=
No minorities in Des Moines or the Quad Cities?
- atsuishin - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 11:54 am:
==“Senator, great ideas for Iowa. But they’re a little different in Illinois.” - Mapes ===
Its a lot different in Illinois: Massive population loss, no budget, massive pension cost, corruption, uncontested legislative elections to name a few. Illinois political staffers with all the problems in front of them are in no position to condensed on Iowa.
- Just Me - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:05 pm:
“Legislators like to be involved in this state on how they frame their districts,” is the exact same thing as saying, “Legislators like to choose their voters.”
I would have more respect for the People’s Map coalition if they were just honest that they prefer the corrupt current method instead of pretending they really support a better proposal.
- Blah - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:14 pm:
==- Just Me - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:05 pm:
I would have more respect for the People’s Map coalition if they were just honest that they prefer the corrupt current method instead of pretending they really support a better proposal.==
That is exactly what they have said, except they don’t view the current system as corrupt. They aren’t supporting a different proposal only the current method.
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:15 pm:
And the lying goes on and on. It is about control and power and will remain so until the courts intervene. But who believes that any judge in Illinois will rule against the Democrats. One must laugh at this status quo to avoid the deep despair that arises from knowing there is little hope for honest change.
- Norseman - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:23 pm:
Meh.
I’m still with Rich in his contention that the Dems should have been out front of this issue. Their luck on the draw has got to end at some point. And that could be in 2011.
Despite my strong hope that Rauner is gone, I fear that his millions will successfully convince enough folks that failure is achievement that he’ll get re-elected.
The only thing I can think of as to why the Dems want to stick with the current system is the belief that the GOP will not be able to produce a Dem damaging map without diluting minority districts. Thus putting their eggs in the basket of a court challenge to the GOP work on that basis.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:34 pm:
Would have preferred Tribbie saying remap taken over by 1%ers…wall street bankers. …guy who started Tribbie collapse. ..a more honest view….also mention change won’t occur until 2023
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 12:51 pm:
=Legislators like to be involved in this state on how they frame their districts.=
Especially if they want to hold office in that district for….say 40 years.
- mudder - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 2:02 pm:
Sounds like little Caesar while Rome burns….
- Amalia - Tuesday, Aug 9, 16 @ 2:45 pm:
“almost everybody’s got an agenda at some point. It may not be your agenda, but it will be an agenda,” THAT! well said.
Illinois could become Texas or Florida. not a good thing.