* The governor was asked today for his thoughts on the deliberations over the new congressional map. Pritzker said he wants to wait to see what the final drawing looks like before commenting. When pressed a bit, he said…
But to be clear, I do want to say one thing, which is, as you know, the basic principle here is making sure that we end up with representation that is truly diverse, that represents the diversity of the state of Illinois. And so that’s something that I look strongly at whenever I’m looking at any of these maps. And, you know, I think it’s moving in the right direction, but I know that the legislature will be making adjustments or at least, I think they may be and so again, we’ll wait until the final version.
Not much there.
* The BND has a good story about what happened to what has been known as the East St. Louis House district…
A map approved by the Illinois General Assembly and Gov. J.B. Pritzker in September carves out a chunk of state House District 114 represented by Democratic Rep. LaToya Greenwood, who is Black. The map takes thousands of Black voters from the East St. Louis area and puts them into District 113, pushing another chunk of Black voters into District 112. White Democrats represent both.
A fifth of Black voters were moved out of East St. Louis, and thousands of white voters were moved in, a lawsuit challenging the map alleges. In the current map, Black residents of voting age represent 37.1% of the population, but only 33.4% in the new map, according to the suit. […]
“I thought that Texas was passing a racist law on voter suppression,” [Frank Smith, chair of the East St. Louis Democratic Central Committee] said, referencing a recent voting restrictions law in the state, “but when I looked here at home, I saw the same thing in just a different way.” […]
“There has been a lot of misinformation about the intent and impact of the recent redistricting on the 114th District,” [Rep. LaToya Greenwood, D-East St. Louis] said in a prepared statement. “For the past forty years, persons of all racial and ethnic backgrounds have come together to elect an African-American legislator in this district, despite the fact that the district was not a majority African-American district. Under the new map, I believe the 114th District will remain a strong district for African-American representation in Springfield, and I would not have supported the map if I believed otherwise.”
* Chair Hernandez admits the obvious…
The latest draft of a new congressional district map for Illinois met with much of the same criticism as the first draft during a House committee hearing Tuesday.
The latest proposal from legislative Democratic leaders was released Saturday. It divides the state into 17 congressional districts, one fewer than the state currently has due to its population loss since the 2010 U.S. Census. […]
During the hearing, Republican Rep. Tom Demmer, of Dixon, asked Democratic committee Chairwoman Lisa Hernandez, of Cicero, directly whether the maps were drawn to increase Democrats’ partisan advantage.
“I would say politics plays a part,” Hernandez said.
* This practice is as old as the republic itself, but it’s a fair hit…
State Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee, told WBEZ he hasn’t ruled out running for a second Latino-leaning congressional seat that would be created in the Democrats’ map.
That situation, [Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield] said, is an example of the ethical conflicts that can occur when politicians draw maps.
A spokeswoman for Senate Democrats didn’t respond to a request for comment on Butler’s statement.
* On to campaigns. A Republican declares for Supreme Court…
Judge Daniel B. Shanes today announced his candidacy for the open Illinois Supreme Court Second District seat. He was joined by current and former public officials who emphasised Judge Shanes’s fair and impartial record, his experience as a judge and prosecutor, and his commitment to the Constitution as key reasons for their support for his candidacy. Quotes from each of these officials endorsing Judge Shanes can be found below and photos and video from today’s event are available upon request.
Endorsements of Judge Shanes
Fred Foreman, former United States Attorney & Chief Judge for Lake County - “Judge Dan Shanes is an ideal candidate for the Illinois Supreme Court. His commitment to our Constitution and the Rule of Law is exactly what we should expect from someone on the highest court in our state. Through his service as an assistant State’s Attorney coupled with over 14 years as a judge, he has the necessary experience, knowledge, and commitment to the law, and I’m proud to support Judge Shanes.”
Joe McMahon, former Kane County State’s Attorney - “When I consider the importance of our Supreme Court, I think that someone like Judge Dan Shanes is exactly who we need to set our state on the right path. A fierce defender of the law, an unerring commitment to the rights of the individual, and a fair and impartial record of rulings make him the right person for the job of Supreme Court justice. Judge Shanes will be a judge to make all of Illinois proud, and I encourage everyone in the Second District to support him.”
Patrick Kenneally, McHenry County State’s Attorney - “Judge Shanes is an upstanding judge and someone who will rule with integrity on the Supreme Court bench. His record speaks for itself, displaying a years-long commitment to the rule of law and balance in his rulings that will benefit our state from the Supreme Court. Judge Shanes has always shown great deference to our Constitution and the rights imbued in it, and it will benefit all Illinoisans knowing they have someone as committed to their rights as Judge Shanes on the Supreme Court.”
Judge Daniel B. Shanes announced his candidacy for the Illinois Supreme Court Second District seat today in Lake County. Judge Shanes has more than 14 years of experience as a judge, first as an Associate Judge and for the last 11 years as a full Circuit Judge, having been appointed in 2010, then elected in 2012, and retained by the voters for another full term in 2018. He currently serves as the Chair of the Illinois Judicial College Board of Trustees by Illinois Supreme Court appointment, teaching judges to better serve people across Illinois. Prior to becoming a judge, Judge Shanes served as an Assistant State’s Attorney and Division Chief in Lake County, leading some of the County’s most challenging cases and spearheading reform efforts such as establishing Lake County’s Drug Court, a program of comprehensive treatment for non-violent repeat felony offenders driven by substance addiction.
* Something to consider when thinking about the upcoming Republican primaries. Here are the “Yes, definitely” responses from a Morning Consult poll taken October 22-October 24 of 1,999 registered voters, with “Yes, probably” results added to the final total in parentheses…
Do you think the results of the 2020 presidential election should be overturned?
Republican: 42% (60%)
Republican women: 49% (66%)
Republican men: 32% (51%)
Conservative: 40% (57%)
Homemaker: 40% (53%)
Rural: 30% (44%)
Biden Job Strongly Disapprove: 45% (64%)
