4.7 million Illinoisans had no choice for state representative

By Dylan Sharkey

11/16/2021

Democracy depends on giving voters choices, but in Illinois nearly half the seats in the state legislature are filled without giving voters more than one name. A choice of one is no choice.

TAGS: fair maps, gerrymandering, Illinois, redistricting

Democrats pass gerrymandered congressional map No. 4

By Joe Tabor

10/29/2021

Illinois Democrats finally passed the fourth draft of their congressional district map after earlier versions prompted criticism from the Hispanic community and even fellow Democrats. A university gave several versions an “F.”

TAGS: congress, corruption, Democrats, elections, fair maps, gerrymandering, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, illinois House, JB Pritzker, legislative, maps

Pritzker OKs gerrymandered maps, breaking promise to end partisan games

By Joe Tabor

06/05/2021

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Democrats’ partisan legislative and judicial redistricting plans. He had repeatedly promised to veto any maps drawn by state lawmakers for their own benefit.

TAGS: corruption, fair maps, gerrymandering, JB Pritzker

‘Transparency’ on Illinois legislative maps begins behind closed doors

05/07/2021

Democratic state lawmakers were given a private look at new Illinois House district maps. Partisan legislative maps and gerrymandering seem to be surviving ‘transparency.’

TAGS: Chris Welch, fair maps, JB Pritzker, legislative district, transparency

Pritzker breaks promise to end Illinois gerrymandering

By Brad Weisenstein

04/28/2021

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker promised on the campaign trail and repeatedly after that, including earlier this year, to end partisan gerrymandering of political maps. Now he says, ‘Nevermind.’ He trusts lawmakers.

TAGS: fair maps, gerrymandering, JB Pritzker

Political maps get 23 public hearings in April across Illinois

By Patrick Andriesen

03/15/2021

Illinois House members scheduled public hearings before they try to redraw the maps showing who serves what area in Congress and the Statehouse. How they can legally create a map in June when Census data will not be out until September remains a question.

TAGS: fair maps, JB Pritzker, legislative district, redistricting

Unless legislative map process changes, Pritzker’s veto threat means little

By Ann Miller

01/08/2021

Illinois legislative maps are drawn by state lawmakers who pick their voters, instead of the other way around. Without independent mapmaking, nothing will be changed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s threat to veto a partisan map.

TAGS: fair maps, gerrymandering, JB Pritzker, legislative district, Mike Madigan

Illinois lawmakers offer voters a tax hike, let deadline pass for constitutional reforms

By Ben Szalinski

05/05/2020

Only Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s progressive income tax amendment will appear on the ballot in November. Voters were denied a chance to make critical reforms to state government.

TAGS: balanced budget requirement, debt, fair maps, pensions, progressive income tax, spending cap, term limits

Illinois police serve search warrant at Madigan’s Springfield office, looking for evidence of sexual assault, battery by former state lawmaker

By Austin Berg

02/01/2020

State police executed the search warrant in an attempt to find evidence of criminal behavior by former Democratic state Rep. Jack Franks.

TAGS: corruption, fair maps, fair tax, graduated income tax, house rules, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, Illinois House of Representatives, illinois state police, independent maps, investigation, Jack Franks, JB Pritzker, legislative map, Mike Madigan, progressive income tax, redistricting, rules committee, search warrant, sexual harrassment, Springfield, State of the State

‘Fair tax’ backer pleads guilty to tax fraud

By Vincent Caruso

01/28/2020

Former state Sen. Martin Sandoval once headed the powerful Senate Transportation Committee. He now faces up to 13 years in prison on corruption charges involving a controversial red-light camera company.

TAGS: bribery, Chicago, conflict of interest, corruption, Ed Burke, embezzlement, ethics, fair maps, fair tax, FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation, federal investigation, fraud, graduated income tax, house rules, IDOT: Illinois Department of Transportation, ILGA: Illinois General Assembly, Illinois, IRS: Internal Revenue Service, JB Pritzker, Luis Arroyo, Martin Sandoval, pork barrel spending, progressive income tax, red light cameras, redistricting, revolving door, Springfield, tax fraud, Tom Cullerton