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Question of the day

Thursday, Feb 13, 2020

* From today’s redistricting press release

The [Fair Maps] commission members would be carefully selected to represent everyone who lives in Illinois, instead of placing power over district boundaries in the hands of politicians who have a vested interest in protecting their own careers.

* From HJRCA41

No later than March 1 of the year that follows the federal decennial census, the Chief Justice and the most senior Supreme Court Justice who is not elected from the same political party as the Chief Justice shall select 17 commissioners to form an Independent Redistricting Commission. The commissioners shall reflect the ethnic, gender, and racial demographics of Illinois to reflect the demographic data provided by the decennial census, each commissioner shall be a voter who has been continuously affiliated in Illinois with the same political party or unaffiliated with a political party and who has not changed political party affiliation for 5 or more years immediately preceding the date of his or her appointment. Fourteen of the commissioners shall represent, in equal number, the two political parties whose gubernatorial candidates received the greatest number of votes in the last gubernatorial election and 3 of the commissioners must represent neither of those parties. No more than one commissioner shall be from the same Congressional District. If the total number of Congressional Districts equal less than 17, then at-large commissioners will be appointed to fill vacancies, and no more than 2 commissioners shall be from the same Congressional District. The 2 Justices responsible for selecting the 17 commissioners shall consider party identification and all campaign contributions in determining a potential commissioner’s eligibility.

(d) A person is ineligible to serve on the Commission if within the previous 5 calendar years the person or his or her spouse or immediate family member, including his or her parents, children, step-children, or siblings, is or has been:

    (1) appointed or elected to a position with the State, federal, or local government;

    (2) a candidate for State, federal or local office;

    (3) a paid consultant or employee of a State, federal, or local elected official or political candidate, of a 1federal, State, or local political candidate’s campaign, or of a political action committee or any other electioneering entity;

    (4) a State, federal, or local lobbyist as defined by law;

    (5) an individual with an ownership interest in an entity with a State, federal, or local government contract; or

    (6) appointed or elected to serve a State, federal, or local political party.

* The Question: Your thoughts on the selection process and ineligible list? Make sure to explain. Thanks.

– Posted by Rich Miller        

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