A bipartisan group led by Democrat Bill Daley and Republican Ray LaHood has launched a new push to pass a state constitutional amendment to put legislative redistricting in the hands of an independent commission.
Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, a Republican, and former Secretary of Commerce Bill Daley, a Democrat and member of the Daley political family, are leading the effort.
The departure marked the end of a nationally-watched standoff between the lawmakers and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who pushed the remap plan at President Donald Trump’s urging in a bid to add five additional Republican seats in the U.S. House.
Gov. JB Pritzker touts redistricting in response to Texas, but his legislative allies cite no signs of movement on the issue in Springfield.
Pritzker, who was on Kamala Harris’ vice presidential shortlist, has been asked about his political future for years — and he’s always vowed Illinois was his first priority.
Democrats in New York, California and Illinois are threatening to redraw their own maps in retaliation to Republican redistricting efforts in Texas.
UPDATE: The Champaign County Board approved a revised district map Thursday night. County board members voted along party lines to approve a map submitted by the board’s Democratic majority. It uses newly released Census data to revise a map approved last May. Republican Jim Goss criticized Democrats for calling their proposal an “equity” map —
URBANA – The Champaign County Board voted along party lines Friday evening to override the county executive’s veto of a new district map drawn by Democrats. On a 14-7 vote (with Republican Jodi Wolken absent), the county board overrode County Executive Darlene Kloeppel’s veto of a map Democrats have labeled the Equity Map. Republicans had
2nd UPDATE: May 21 2021 5:45 p.m. – Champaign County Executive Darlene Kloeppel has vetoed a new district map that the county board approved Thursday night, and is asking the county board to reconsider the question at its June 24 meeting. In her veto message released Friday, Kloeppel said Democrats had not taken the time
SAVOY — Officials at the University of Illinois’ Willard Airport in Savoy held a ceremony Friday to mark the update of an aging runway. The federal government is contributing more than $11 million to the $12.4 million project. U.S. Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says the project is important because of the reach of Willard
URBANA – An Illinois House committee is gathering input from different parts of the state, as its members prepare to redraw legislative and congressional districts. On Thursday, the Redistricting Committee heard via Zoom from the Champaign-Urbana area — one of the few parts of Illinois seeing population growth. Gloria Yen with the University YMCA’s New
URBANA – Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis is appealing to bipartisanship, as he joins fellow Republicans in opposing the White House infrastructure plan. Davis made his comments Monday at Willard Airport, south of Champaign, where he toured runway and taxiway improvements. “Well this is awesome,” said Davis, as he was shown improvements paid for by federal
COVID-19 Tests Hit Milestone, Pritzker Warns Long Way To Go SPRINGFIELD — Illinois public health officials completed more than 16,000 tests for COVID-19 in 24 hours, surpassing for the first time the 10,000-per-day mark that the governor on Friday called a milestone on the way to tracking the deadly virus and ending tight restrictions on