Posted on 05/19/2011 9:34:41 PM PDT by Steelers6
May 19, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Top-secret plans to redraw Illinois' legislative and congressional districts could lead to big changes in the districts of three of the area's African-American congressmen, ABC7 News has learned. This is the first time under the current state constitution that one party has controlled redrawing the state's legislative and congressional district maps. Realizing the controversy their proposed boundaries will stir, Illinois Democrats are keeping much of their plan top secret. Even party VIPs can't get a peek. Davis is one of three black congressmen -- Bobby Rush and Jesse Jackson, Jr. are the others -- whose districts are centered in Chicago, where the 2010 Census reports the African-American population had dropped by nearly 200,000 people. Illinois Senate has officially released an actual proposed map for its 59 districts, and the Democratic mappers have placed eight of the chambers Republicans in the same district as another Republican member. Those targeted include minority leader Christine Radogno of Lemont, who on the new map would live in the same district as Senator Ron Sandack of Downers Grove. "This is a process that's not being done with enough transparency. And it's again being done by politicians in their own self-interest," said Andy Shaw of the Better Government Association. Because of statewide population losses, Illinois will lose one of its current 19 seats in Congress. The Democratic party mappers are expected to pit Republican incumbents against one another while creating as much advantage for democrats wherever possible. Sources say the Democrats won't release all their redistricting work until Saturday. Then they will have a hearing that same day at the Bilandic Building in Chicago and another hearing next Tuesday in Springfield. The majority party wants the map approved by a simple majority before the end of session on May 31
(Excerpt) Read more at abclocal.go.com ...
Is this like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?
Get ready for it, kids. Here it comes...
Forget the deck chairs, we've already hit the iceberg and are going down.
This is so sad. Illinois used to have a Republicam majority. That is, before the Chicago thugs took complete control of the state. My prayers go out to Illinois.
Our side contributed to the mess by having some of our own (the Governor, etc) go to prison. Plenty of blame to go around.
We tried to warn the people of Illinois......
Next to Washington State, this may be Kucinich’s best shot at staying in office.
It may be possible to protect all of the Chicago Democrats and make it difficult for Dold/Walsh besides.
Although I’m sure there are other Chicagoland Dems in line for a seat in front of Kucinich...
Jeez. It’s already a rat state leg map we have now. I wasn’t expecting huge changes.
Guess they are going for the throat.
It’s ugly folks. Sickening and ugly. Under a GOP or neutral map we probably would have won the State House in 2010.
and the media can only complain abut the GOP states
I was in Chicago two weeks ago. I used to love going there over the years. Man what a dump that place has become.
Elections have consequences.
Republican corruption isn’t a recent event. Do you remember Big Jim Thompson? He can’t walk a straight line.
Do you think the rearranging is going to result in the loss or jeopardy of two GOP seats (maybe 8 and 10)?
I know two people who will run in State Sen. Link’s district, Greg Jacobs and Keith Gray. That district (30th) has a larger percentage of Republicans. I asked Paul Hamman to run against Sen. Garrett, and I think that he’s considering it. That district (29th) has a higher percentage of Republicans.
IL is so hopeless that even if the Republican had the majority, as they do in TX, they would work with the Democrats to increase Democrat representation! Just like the TX Republicans are doing
And it seems that the "Recall Pat Quinn" effort went no where.
So it seems things are only going to get worse for us in IL.
I just pray Jeff Junkas runs against my rep Kevin McCarthy again. Junkas most likely won since the votes were under 1000, but you know how things work in this County.
It's sad. I worked so hard on election day poll watching and I feel like it was all for naught. But if the economy and unemployment remains what it is now in 2012 we may see a transformational election.
Look at Wisconsin! They were able to retake their state, I pray that folks open their eyes, when Quinn's first big bill was to raise our taxes by 66%!!!
I can't take the Quinn / Madigan / Emanuel regime we have.
We literally have no voice in this state.
“Forget the deck chairs, we’ve already hit the iceberg and are going down.”
Sadly, you are correct....
Possibly. It looks as though they’re going to try to rejigger the hyper-Dem urban Chicago districts and stretch them like fingers deep into Republican areas to eliminate GOP seats (so instead of the Dems winning 80% or higher, it’ll be 60% or below) and leave a few hyper-Republican seats. Of course, sometimes redistricting can come back to bite the party engaged in gerrymandering. Down here in TN, the lines were drawn to elect a Democrat majority across the board, and instead of a 5D-4R lineup in the U.S. House, it’s now 7R-2D (with the second seat getting uncomfortably close to competitive). Even worse when the legislature was supposed to have a 58D-41R lineup, and now it’s 64R-34D.
What are the Texas Republicans doing? If they are doing what you say who is leading this move in Texas to help the Dems when Perry is the Gov and I believe both houses are Republican. Exactly opposite of Illinois.
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