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Common Cause turns thumbs down on Raoul proposal

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Illinois

* Common Cause Illinois…

Over the past week, two proposals have been filed in the Illinois General Assembly to reform how district maps are drawn in Illinois. Common Cause is a national leader on redistricting reform as was demonstrated by our work to pass meaningful redistricting reform in California. Common Cause Illinois believes that a mapping process can be developed that is non-partisan, effective, and supports the protection of minority voting rights.

Here in Illinois, Common Cause continues to be a supporter of the Independent Maps campaign and their attempt to place an amendment to voters on the 2016 ballot. In the same spirit, Common Cause Illinois has analyzed SJRCA0030 (Sponsored by Sen. Kwame Raoul) and House Bill HJRCA 58 (Sponsored by Rep. Jack Franks). A summary of our analysis is below.

Senate Bill SJRCA 30
SJRCA 30 falls far short of the democracy reform Illinois residents deserve. It does not address the primary problem with redistricting in Illinois: the conflict of interest in allowing legislators to manipulate their own districts and congressional boundaries for political advantage. This bill does not prevent partisan gerrymandering and only removes politicians from the process under extraordinary circumstances that are unlikely to ever occur. Despite the addition of some neutral standards and public hearings, politician control over the process means that standards will be interpreted for maximum self-interest and public input can be ignored without consequence. With the prospect of strong reform on the ballot this November, we are asking senators to go back to the drawing board and draft a bill that will truly give Illinois residents a voice in their own representation.

House Bill HJRCA
HJRCA 58 provides a promising path forward for ending the unfair manipulation of legislative and representative districts in Illinois. Common Cause strongly supports the bill’s creation of an independent commission tasked with drawing General Assembly districts after hearing public testimony in open meetings around the state. We are working closely with Rep. Franks to improve the criteria that will guide the drafting process, strengthen conflict of interest provisions, and ensure the greatest possible independence from political leaders, protect minority voting rights, and strengthen the ability of Illinois voters to elect candidates of their choice. We commend Rep. Franks on this effort and look forward to a continued collaboration to end political gerrymandering in Illinois.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:07 am

Comments

That’s not something you see every day: a goo-goo from Hyde Park gets sideways of Common Cause, while Jack Franks is the hero.

Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:12 am
so basically Jacks FTW

Comment by Ghost Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:14 am
LOL Word.

Comment by Norseman Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:17 am
“…so basically Jacks FTW” - Ghost

And, Raoul for the criss-cross (or is that double-cross?).

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:24 am
@wordslinger not sure if Raoul is a goo goo. He is smart and intellectually curious but he is a partisan democrat and does not want blacks to lose representation in the general assembly which would happen would under a fair maps proposal.

Comment by atsuishin Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:31 am
Will the Common Cause analysis get any play in the mainstream media?

Let’s be hopeful.

Comment by cdog Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:35 am
Okay, Common Cause is an outside agency, supposedly party-neutral; they turned one proposal down and are in favor of the other. That’s well and good, but for those of who don’t really follow them, how trustworthy is Common Cause? When I read the synopsis of the bills here, it sounded like Frank’s bill was better, but will it pass the House?
Your analysis of Common Cause would be valuable to me, Rich-any comments?

Comment by downstate commissioner Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:47 am
I would like to see a comparison of the Franks proposal and the Independent Maps proposal–I gather they are different. I know the League of Women Voters has strongly supported the Independent Maps proposal.I haven’t seen them analyze the franks proposal.

Comment by Red eft Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 10:51 am
The feds will make sure minorities keep representation in a remap, with what’s left of the Voting Rights Act.

Comment by Ray del Camino Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:11 am
The Franks bill was amended yesterday, which reset the clock for reading it in full on the House floor. That means they could pass it tomorrow at the earliest, correct? Then the Senate would have just a few session days to decide whether to vote on it.

Comment by chicagogetter Thursday, Apr 21, 16 @ 11:49 am