Happy New Year!
ICPR Spotcheck for January 5, 2011
Happy New Year!
In this Issue:
* Vote for ICPR for the Pepsi Refresh Project
* Redistricting
* The Race is on-- ICPR's Blog
*Vote for ICPR for the Pepsi Refresh Project
VOTE FOR ICPR TODAY!
We're always promoting public participation in government, but today we're asking you to participate in the Pepsi Refresh Project where we are applying for funding for our Young Leaders in Public Interest Seminar Series.
Our 2010 Series was a wildly successful and we hope the Pepsi Refresh Project will be able to help us cover our costs to present another great series in 2011.
Vote for us today at www.refresheverything.com/ilcampaign.
And don't stop there! Tell your friends, family and colleagues through Facebook, Twitter and email today! Voting ends January 31st.
* Redistricting
This year the Land of Lincoln will lose one of its current 19 Congressional districts. Illinois Democrats, who control both chambers of the legislature and the Governor's office, will use population data, skilled mapmakers, and voting data to draw a new Congressional map. Many observers fear the new map will be drawn emphasize partisan differences rather than to reflect the true diversity of the state.
Illinois gives the General Assembly the power to create and approve the Congressional districts, subject to the approval of the governor, just as with other laws. While at first glance, that may suggest there's some desired independence between the map-drawers and Congressional incumbents/candidates, there is not much in practice. Previous maps have emphasized the political power of the mapmakers over the interests of local communities. You can count on ICPR to encourage our legislators to draw a map for the entire state that produces elected officials that actually resemble the entire state!
* The Race is on-- ICPR's Blog
For updates on the implementation of the new campaign finance law, the 2011 legislative redistricting process, and other hot topics, check out ICPR's Blog, The Race is On!
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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