Lawmakers gear up for 2nd half of fall veto session

[October 24, 2009]  The discussion on redistricting reform will continue during a hearing scheduled for Wednesday in the Illinois Statehouse. Lawmakers will resume consideration of proposals to change Illinois' redistricting process. The Senate Redistricting Committee has met over the last few months to discuss redistricting and consider expert testimony on possible reforms to the current system.

While experts and lawmakers overwhelmingly agree that reforms are needed, opinions differ on what those reforms should be. A recent poll released Oct. 19 by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute shows that Illinois voters also support changing the way the state draws legislative boundaries.

Over 70 percent of respondents said that they disapprove of the current system, compared with 17 percent who favor Illinois' redistricting process. When asked if they approved of the state's system of ending a stalemate over an agreement on a redistricting plan by pulling a party's name out of a hat, once again more than 70 percent of those polled expressed varying degrees of disapproval.

Survey respondents also favored updating the state's campaign finance laws, with an overwhelming number of respondents supporting contribution limits for both "in-kind" donations, including services and goods, and money. Over 70 percent of respondents either "favored" or "strongly favored" limits.

Despite the public's interest in seeing stronger campaign finance reforms adopted in Illinois, Democratic legislative leaders have opposed key provisions of the reforms, and it is unknown whether lawmakers will be given the chance to vote on meaningful campaign finance reform before the veto session concludes next week.

Senate Republican Leader Christine Radogno, R-Lemont, has been leading the charge for campaign finance reform and will continue to push for legislative leaders to advance meaningful reform legislation in the coming days.

[Text from file from Illinois Senate Republicans]