ICPR Spotcheck for September 15, 2011
*Celebrate ICPR!
*Illinois' 2011 redistricting: Closed to the public
*ICPR In The News
*Judicial recusal standards are overdue
*Celebrate ICPR!
Join ICPR for a festive evening on Thursday, November 10th from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Zolla Lieberman Gallery, 325 West Huron in Chicago.
This year Stanley Adelman will accept the Paul Simon Public Service Award on behalf of DLA Piper for their generous pro-bono support of ICPR's efforts to defend campaign disclosure in Illinois. We will also be presenting the inaugural Cynthia Canary Leadership Award to Terry Pastika of the Citizen Advocacy Center, for her leadership on Freedom of Information issues.
Sponsorship opportunities range from $250 to $2,500. For information about becoming a sponsor, contact Kate Hermann at kate@ilcampaign.org or 312-335-1767 Individual tickets are $75, with a $50 "Young Professional" rate for guests under 30. Purchase your tickets online today by clicking here.
*Illinois' 2011 redistricting: Closed to the public
ICPR's report, "Mapping in the Dark," explains how Democratic legislative leaders in charge of the 2011 redistricting shut out the public from the redrawing of state legislative and Congressional boundaries. Check out our report and recommendations for improving the process here.
*ICPR In The News
ICPR was happy to collaborate with Dean Olson at the SJ-R on a story about campaign donations from insurance companies to members of the new legislative committee tasked with implementing the federal Health Care Law. We found most giving by insurance companies went to the four legislative leaders, who determined who would sit on the new committee, which will recommend how to set up insurance exchanges in Illinois. We also spoke with Dane Placko of Fox Chicago about a sitting Chicago alderman whose Statements of Economic Interest failed to list his ownership of the building that houses his city-funded service office, along with several political organizations that are paying little or no rent.
*Judicial recusal standards are overdue
In a Chicago Tribune op-ed, Justice At Stake's Executive Director Bert Brandenburg called on states which elect judges to adopt rules for when judges should step away from cases involving campaign supporters or contributors. Illinois has been home to some of the most expensive judicial contests in history but does not have recusal standards. "If there is a reasonable doubt that a judge can be impartial, he or she should step aside," Brandenburg writes. ICPR believes the adoption of such recusal standards will help build the public's faith in the judiciary. Read the op-ed.
ICPR Spotcheck is a publication of The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, a non-partisan public interest group that educates, conducts research, and advocates reforms to promote public participation in government, address the role of money in politics, and encourage integrity, accountability, and transparency in government.
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