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Groups Start Coalition Touting Fair District Mapping
The people who want to "take back Illinois" say a good place to start would be to change the way the boundaries are drawn for state legislative districts. They say the system now simply protects incumbents and lets the lawmakers choose their voters instead of the other way around.

Groups including the League of Women Voters of Illinois, Illinois Campaign for Political Reform and Better Government Association have formed the Illinois Fair Map Amendment coalition. They must collect 500,000 petition signatures and file them by May 2 to get a constitutional amendment on the November 2010 ballot.

Normally, proposed amendments need the General Assembly's approval, but the state Constitution grants this exception. At a statehouse news conference, organizers said they did not believe an amendment pertaining to congressional boundaries fits the exception.

The Fair Map people want to de-politicize the system by turning it over to a bi-partisan commission. They point to such funny-looking districts as one with a "tail" on it -- so as to include the home of the incumbent's fiance' -- and another which somehow includes both Decatur and the Metro East area.

For more information on the coalition, CLICK HERE.

(Illinois Radio Network)
12 05 09 by Newsroom
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