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* The pension bill advanced today without the judicial amendment…
The House Personnel and Pensions Committee voted 6-2-1 to advance the bill to the floor of the House. State Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, voted “no,” as did Rep. Karen May, D-Highland Park. Rep. Daniel Biss, D-Evanston, voted “present.”
The committee did not attach an amendment that would include judges in the bill. House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, said he planned to offer that amendment, which he says is supported by Republicans and Democrats, when the bill reaches the floor. Cross said he is unsure whether the measure has the votes to pass the House.
* Actually, as subscribers already know, this deal was reached yesterday…
A tentative deal on workers’ compensation reform has been reached on Thursday, according to a coalition of Illinois employers.
The deal comes less than 18 hours after a bill to abolish the workers’ compensation system in Illinois passed out of a House committee.
The Illinois Department of Insurance claims the deal will result in savings of more than $500 million annually for businesses, according to a document signed by a number of business interests, including the Illinois Manufacturers’ Association, the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, Navistar and Mitsubishi.
* Meanwhile the House and Senate Republicans have unveiled their own remap proposal. The GOPs say the amendment has been drafted and sent to LRB. From a press release…
“We took into consideration as much as we could the public’s requests and observations while complying with all of the rules,” said Rep. Mike Fortner (R-West Chicago). “We worked closely with minority groups such as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) to give Latinos in our state a better opportunity to elect candidates of their choice than what was proposed by the democrats. The Latino population grew the most in the last ten years and that should be reflected in the map.”
The Fair Map does creates nine Latino districts with voting age populations (VAP) of 60 percent or more. That’s in sharp contrast to the Democrat map that created only four districts with VAPs of 60 percent or more.
Compared to the Democrat map, the Fair Map plan also creates an additional majority Latino district and enhances and equalizes Latino voters in other districts. At the same time, it does not retrogress African-American districts. In fact, it creates two more majority African-American districts than the proposed Democrat map.
“It became clear in analyzing the Democrat map that partisan political advantage was given a higher priority than the rights of Latinos and African-Americans,” said Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon).
“In the Fair Map, as you can see, neither party was spared from the pairings. This is an indication that we did not take into account incumbency when drawing the lines,” said Fortner.
In the Fair Map, 17 incumbent Republicans were paired in the House and 17 Democrats were paired.
The Democrat proposal pairs 19 House Republicans and only 6 House Democrats despite the fact the majority of the population loss occurred in Democrat areas.
In addition, at many of the hearings—community members asked the legislators to respect county and municipal boundaries whenever possible when drawing districts.
The Fair Map maintains the integrity of more counties. The House Democrat plan splits 36% more counties than does the Fair Map.
You can click here to see the map proposals.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:20 pm
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Is it my imagination, or are there a lot more downstate districts under the so-called “Fair Map?”
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:29 pm
The “Fair Map” certainly looks less like the evil Gerrymandering model downstate with much more geographically logical districts.
Comment by Cassiopeia Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:33 pm
I like this Fair Map a lot better than the proposed Democrat map. Most districts, while not square, at least make some logical sense and are a lot less gerrymandered.
Comment by Nikoli Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:36 pm
This map is worse, and draws City District Democrats together, the one I noticed is Feigenholtz and Williams I believe are together. 14 Dems are together according to GOP data under their proposal while only 4 GOPs are.
Comment by Rahm's Parking Meter Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:47 pm
Wow, I needed a good laugh!
Comment by Pink Girl Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:53 pm
I like this map a lot better, keeps communities together instead of tearing them apart for political gain. About time the Senate R’s did something.
Comment by Ahoy! Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:54 pm
I have to admit this map makes a little more sense in some ways for me. Puts the non-kane county folks in Aurora in different districts, considering all of them accept for one pct. (mine) are in different school districts it reduces the SD splitting in my neck of the woods.
It would also make Lauzen’s race more interesting.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 1:59 pm
I also have to admit having the demographic information is nice. makes one of the districts in the senate district majority Hispanic with 66%.
Comment by OneMan Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:00 pm
If worker’s comp passes, it will be another milestone to what has been a remarkable six months for the General Assembly. A lot of heavy lifting.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:05 pm
When will the Repubs learn that democrat is a noun not an adjective .
Comment by Pete Granata Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:05 pm
Cute map, GOP. I’ll put it right up on the fridge next to the macaroni Christmas tree and popsicle stick log cabin.
The Elgin and O’Hare districts are particularly interesting.
Comment by Obamarama Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:05 pm
–If worker’s comp passes, it will be another milestone to what has been a remarkable six months for the General Assembly. A lot of heavy lifting.–
Of course, it has to be actual reform before we can call it “remarkable” or “heavy lifting.” Let’s see what the actual language is. Labor isn’t complaining, and that’s where the main costs are fixed, so it’s hard to say how much “reform” is actually involved in this.
Prediction: This will not reduce workers compensation premiums for most Illinois employers.
Comment by phocion Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:22 pm
I have to hand it to the republicans on this one. This map looks more equal and represents what the people what; which is enough of the political BS and get down to business. I vote for the fair map and that is the way it should be!
Comment by Paul S. Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:38 pm
Great that the GOP released a pretend map at least.
Too bad we’ll never see the real one they would have pushed had they been in power and drawing the map for real.
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 2:46 pm
From Champaign-Urbana:
Champaign and Urbana have distinct city governments, but are one social and economic entity, with no space between them, and the University of Illinois campus straddling the boundary, of a combined size just more than one state Rep. district. Together they comprise a logical state rep district, which is how they are in the Democratic map. The Republican map runs a line down Wright street, the dividing line, so that Urbana and Champaign, each with their own half of the Universirty, are put separately into otherwise rural districts. So much for fairness or logic on that one.
Comment by jake Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:15 pm
So the party that opposes the Dream Act, much less comprehensive immigration reform, is now telling us how much tender concern they have for Latinos?? Puhleeese!
These are the same guys who introduced an Arizona-style bill this year. Yet they expect us to believe their may is motivated by their genuine desire for Latino fairness?
Comment by reformer Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:22 pm
What took so long?
They’ve been spending hundreds of thousands of tax dollars and NOW they decide it’s time to put out a map?
So where’d all that money go last year and so far this year?
If it was so easy to throw this together, why’d they wait ’til now?
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:23 pm
@reformer…so it’s allowable for the dems to disenfranchise latino voters because their chicago members support the dream act? How many downstate dems are supporting the dream act?
Comment by Easy Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:26 pm
Who knew that deep down that the IL GOP held Latinos’ interests so dear?
Comment by King Louis XVI Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:31 pm
What a waste of time. Just window dressing for the rubes in the press (don’t mean Rich obviously). If the Repubs were drawing for real, it would look a heck of a lot different.
More dishonest cynical games from the IL GOP.
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:32 pm
Reformer, you were incorrect when you said that Republicans oppose comprehensive immigration reform. I’m a Republican who supports this type of comprehensive immigration reform. Congress should triple the fines, for employers who hire illegal aliens. That would usually deter employers from hiring illegals. If any money is collected, from those fines, it would be used to build a brick wall, along the Mexican border and to hire more border patrol agents.
Comment by Conservative Veteran Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:34 pm
One suburban Latino, Rep. Crespo, would have signifcantly FEWER Latinos under the “Fair Map” than he has either in his current district or under the Democratic map. He’d have only 13.65% Latino in the new District 57, where he’d be thrown in with fellow Democrat, Rep. Mussman. The MALDEF map would boost Crespo’s Latino population over 50% instead of cutting it the way the GOP does.
Comment by reformer Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:42 pm
@reformer. No, you’re wrong. Maldef never drew a district for Hoffman estates. They drew one covering Elgin, which is Farnham’s district. And is identical to the elgin district on the fair map.
Comment by Easy Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:46 pm
There are more hispanic districts and more african-american districts in the Fair Map. I don’t really care why they did that, I just appreciate that they did.
Comment by Old Milwaukee Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 3:51 pm
Well that was a waste of $750,000 of our tax money…
At least they realized brown people vote. Too bad they’re just using them as pawns in their upcoming lawsuit against the state — also paid for (on both sides) by our tax dollars.
PS - What’s “the Democrat map”? Is this new one “the Republic map”?
I’ll take Our Ladies of Perpetual Minority seriously when they learn how to speak American more righter.
Comment by G. Willickers Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:03 pm
@ Con Vet - “Reformer, you were incorrect when you said that Republicans oppose comprehensive immigration reform. I’m a Republican who supports this type of comprehensive immigration reform. Congress should triple the fines, for employers who hire illegal aliens. That would usually deter employers from hiring illegals. If any money is collected, from those fines, it would be used to build a brick wall, along the Mexican border and to hire more border patrol agents.”
Obama has dramatically increased both deportation of illegal aliens and crackdowns on unscrupulous businesses that hire them.
We are building a wall. Show me a 25 foot high wall and I’ll show both a 26′ ladder and a 50′ long tunnel under both.
We also somehow found the money to station National Guardsmen all along the border. There’s no money for sick people or the middle class, but plenty of money to stop brown people from risking their lives to cross a desert so they can clean your toilet and pick your brambleberries for a buck an hour.
Bet they don’t mention any of that when Ruthy O’Connell has her Wheeling Republican meetings, now do they?
Comment by G. Willickers Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:07 pm
I assume what’s going on here is the Republicans are proposing the creation of some super-strong Dem districts with Latino or African American majorities, and then creating a bunch of other districts that are more slim republican majorities, plus proposing a map that “looks” more genuine? If so, smart move, but it will be ignored
Comment by Amy Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:10 pm
“More dishonest cynical games from the IL GOP.”
I think anybody in state government can list more dishonest thing dems have done in the last 10 years than republicans.
Comment by Anonymous Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 4:19 pm
It’s an exercise in futility but I kinda like that GOP map, excuse me, “Republic Map”.
It makes an open district in north Arlington Hts.
Makes Harris district much bluer than the Dem vote dump does.
Sente and Mathias are still lumped together. It also lumps Nekritz and Mulligan together. Odd combo that is.
Comment by G. Willickers Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 5:13 pm
Hmmm … I certainly hope this Fair Map wasn’t drawn in secret behind closed doors. Musta missed the GOP open public coloring contest in the rotunda with road maps and highlighters.
Plug those coordinates into Tom Cross’ Apple IIe and set phasers for stun.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 6:10 pm
Jake, with the GOP map than the U of I community gets two state reps instead of one. I would think that would be a good thing to those whose lives rely on the U of I for jobs, school, development, etc. etc.
Comment by Not a Newcomer Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 6:30 pm
I think there’s a bug with the population numbers for each district. When you click on them, they all say “Population: 108734″.
Comment by LN Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 7:16 pm
Well, 108,734 x 118 = roughly 12.8 million which is 100,000 away from Illinois’ current population. I guess they were generalizing. Apologies.
Comment by LN Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 7:23 pm
More of the same. The GOP in this state is so confused, they can’t beat Blago, Quinn, a bad economy or take advantage of a national GOP landslide.
For all you youngsters out there, Illinois is not a “blue state.” That’s just what the losers tell you.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 7:54 pm
So for days commenters here have been complaining that the GOP took money for remapping but hadn’t provided any. Now when they provide what they have been working on, the commenters complain that the maps aren’t serious enough or aren’t genuine, or something else equally lame. Get over it. They were given money to make maps regardless of whether they would ever pass a vote. The maps were made, are more balanced than the Dem maps, and they have no chance to pass. The GOP did their job as the minority party. Again, get over it.
Comment by GetReal Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 8:48 pm
@ Not a Newcomer
Urbana is put in a mostly rural district, removing a the possibility that someone who actually cares about the University as a constituency will be elected. Even in rural Champaign County itself there is a lot of us vs them mentality against the University District.
Comment by Precinct Captain Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 9:44 pm
“The maps were made, are more balanced than the Dem maps, and they have no chance to pass. The GOP did their job as the minority party.”
Good of you to weigh in Mr. Cross. But no one believes it and we would like our money back.
Comment by just sayin' Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 10:24 pm
In reading the articles about the work comp changes, I don’t understand why there is such a push to remove the arbitrators for supposedly “cozy” relationships with employees. The two worst at being cozy for employees are Commissioners Dauphin and Mason. If businesses really want to see improvement in the system, those two would be removed right away. Commissioner Dauphin is completely incompetent with this job and she has no business (pun intended) being a Commissioner.
Comment by GoodTimes in Illinois Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 11:16 pm
Get Real, they said they threw these maps together AFTER the Dems rolled out their maps. The GOP has been spending money for more than a year. On what? Great, they put maps out at the last minute, but what have they been doing? Hard to take them seriously. I hope the Senate calls their map for a vote (assuming they actually file it) so we can watch McCann and McCarter squirm since their colleagues put them in the same district.
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 11:25 pm
There is something funky with their numbers. If you look at district 9 and add up the percentages attributed to each race you get something like 129%. It has to make you question the accuracy of their figures.
Comment by LouisXIV Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 11:36 pm
the printout of their districts doesn’t seem to match the online version. Are these two different maps?
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Thursday, May 26, 11 @ 11:55 pm
Silly, GOP…LOL
They still made some funny looking districts. As several others pointed out, this is not the map they would have crafted had the won a coin toss. So why didn’t they make it even more “fair & equitable”?
Comment by Pot calling kettle Friday, May 27, 11 @ 12:57 am