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* From CHANGE Illinois…
As of last night’s survey deadline, the majority of candidates for Governor, including Democratic frontrunners: J.B. Pritzker, Daniel Biss, and Chris Kennedy, submitted responses to the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative’s 18-question gerrymandering survey.
Organizations involved in the crafting of the survey included: CHANGE Illinois, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Chicago, the Better Government Association, Business and Professional People for the Public Interest, Citizen Advocacy Center, Common Cause Illinois, League of Women Voters Illinois, NAACP Chicago – South Side Branch, the Small Business Advocacy Council, and the Chicago Chapter of the Centrist Project.
The survey asked candidates specific questions about gerrymandering such as if they would support creating an independent redistricting commission to take over the map-making process, if they would actively advocate for a constitutional amendment to be passed by the Illinois General Assembly and sent to the voters, and supporting key changes to the process to increase transparency and public participation.
You can find each gubernatorial candidate’s response to the survey posted at: www.changeil.org/2018survey.
The winner of the 2018 governor’s race will play a major role in the next redistricting process in 2021. That governor will be responsible for approving or vetoing the maps.
“Getting them on the record in support of fair maps – an issue that 72 percent of Illinois voters support – was the easy part,” said John Sirek, Interim Executive Director of CHANGE Illinois. “Now, we need to keep the issue of gerrymandering front and center in their campaigns and beyond. If elected Governor, how will they see to it that Illinois enacts meaningful redistricting reform ahead of the next map-drawing process?”
Members of the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative are currently drafting a legislative constitutional amendment and have begun reaching out to allies in the Illinois General Assembly. The collaborative also plans to send a similar gerrymandering survey to members and candidates for the General Assembly in the coming weeks.
Last October, a Paul Simon Institute poll showed overwhelming support in Illinois for redistricting reform - with 72 percent of Illinoisans supporting an independent commission to draw Illinois’ district lines.
If you click here, you’ll see that neither Republican candidate and none of the Libertarian Party candidates sent a response by the deadline. Only the Democrats (except for Tio Hardiman).
Why no mention of this?…
As a non-partisan organization, we want to be able to work with the candidates of both parties on this issue and didn’t want appear one-sided just based on who answered and who didn’t. And thus, thought that it was unnecessary for us to call them out on their non-response to the survey, when you would have figured it out and will ask their campaigns anyway.
OK.
Anyway, click here and take a look at the responses. Your thoughts?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 9:51 am
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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First thing I noticed was showing candidates personal cell phone number. Not sure that is a good idea
Comment by very old soil Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 9:59 am
I’m sure the candidates will appreciate their cell phone numbers being published.
Comment by Just Visiting Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:00 am
Not a lot of difference between the candidates here. JB has supported Independent Maps for years.
Comment by Anon0091 Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:02 am
Well… Supreme Court Wisconsin gerrymandering case will be decided this year….
Comment by Politically incorrect Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:05 am
Strange response to the non-response from Rauner and the Libs.
Still stranger that BTIA(TM) didn’t just send over their standard boiler-plate on the issue. Not a heavy lift. It’s around there somewhere.
Maybe they were busy looking for synonyms for “colloquial” to spin the tale of how a “blind trust” is neither blind nor a trust.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:05 am
I think the likelihood of any of these candidates doing anything about gerrymandering is about the same as Trump getting Mexico to pay for the wall.
Comment by Anon Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:11 am
isn’t Rauner already on the record re redistricting reform. for those few who don’t know, he’s for it.
Comment by jim Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:13 am
Why do so many people think a Constitutional amendment is the only way to make change? It is often a practical barrier rather than the best route.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:15 am
Democrats who participate with this organization are fools. “Fair redistricting” for Illinois but not for Republican states? Who does that help? Republicans. Who does that hurt: actual people, especially the poor, who depend on the policies that Democrats enact.
Unilateral disarmament is a great way to lose everything.
This needs to be done on a national basis - either via the Supreme Court making a ruling that bans extreme gerrymandering, which might happen. Or via an act of Congress establishing a uniform standard.
Comment by Moe Berg Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:18 am
Dr. Bob was certainly effusive in his responses. Will each of the 5 Illinois have their own redistricting panels?
Comment by TominChicago Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:18 am
Bob Daiber has been under, or off, the radar since he announced his candidacy and that is unfortunate.
Personally, I thought that he more than held his own given the restraints and limitations of the debate format,
And his response to this survey demonstrates that he is being honest and thoughtful in his responses. Whether one agrees or not he obviously gave some thought to this this survey and the importance of stating his reasoned answers.
Comment by illini Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:20 am
–Why do so many people think a Constitutional amendment is the only way to make change?–
In the particular case of Illinois, Republicans choose not to aggressively organize or compete for votes in Cook County, home to 40% of the state’s citizens.
Didn’t always used to be that way. No crying when you don’t make an effort.
Comment by wordslinger Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 10:36 am
=== Members of the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative are currently drafting a legislative constitutional amendment ===
Let’s hope they’re more competent at qualifying the proposed amendment for the ballot than the group that fumbled the job twice in a row.
Comment by anon2 Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 11:12 am
Who Opposed the last Con/Con and Amend on districting? Rinse and repeat…move along nothing to see here folks. Eat you gruel and be quiet oliver toliver.
Comment by NorthsideNoMore Wednesday, Jan 24, 18 @ 1:32 pm