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Lame-duck legislature should not force
judicial sub-circuits
A plan to restructure judicial boundaries in fast-growing
Illinois counties should not be jammed through by a lame-duck
General Assembly.
The Senate Judiciary Committee met Jan. 4 at the state Capitol to
review proposed changes to the state's court systems, which
proponents say will provide more opportunities for diversity on the
bench. Opponents say the plan is an unwarranted politicization of
the judiciary.
The Democrats' map actually dilutes Latino and African-American
populations into several districts so fewer minorities stand a
chance to be elected. This is nothing more than an attempt to pad
local courts with partisan Democrats. We should select judges by
merit, not politics.
Lawmakers should be given time to study these maps and take them
back to our districts so constituents can see how they will be
affected by the proposed changes. I certainly hope it is not the
intention of Democratic leaders to try to force a vote on this issue
next week, during the waning hours of the current legislative
session.
The General Assembly will return to Springfield Jan. 10 and 11 to
close out the business of the 93rd General Assembly, before
convening the 94th General Assembly on Jan. 12.
Judicial diversification is a goal we all support, and it can be
achieved within the current system with outreach efforts and by
encouraging more diverse candidates.
Illinois legislative website gets new
address
Local residents interested in keeping track of pending state
legislation can now use a new, easier-to-remember Web address.
In December, the legislative website moved to
www.ilga.gov. Individuals who go
to the old address,
www.legis.state.il.us, will be automatically directed to the new
site.
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 Among other things, visitors to the site can view detailed
information on legislation, find out what committees their
legislators serve on, view a brief biography of each legislator and
download a calendar detailing when the General Assembly is in
session.
Carole Pankau sworn in as 23rd
District senator
Longtime state Rep. Carole Pankau of Roselle was sworn in Jan. 5
in Medinah as state senator for the 23rd District. Justice Tom
Callum of the 2nd District Appellate Court administered the oath of
office.
On Jan. 4, the 23rd District Legislative Committee unanimously
chose Pankau to serve out the term of state
Sen. Ray Soden, R-Wood
Dale, who has retired. Pankau served in the Illinois House since
1993 and was elected to the 23rd Senate District seat in the
November 2004 general election.
In the House, Pankau was Republican spokeswoman for the Executive
Committee and served as a member of the Gaming Committee, Revenue
Committee and Insurance Committee.
In addition to her strong record of constituent service, she has
been an advocate for early childhood education, led efforts for
tougher laws protecting children from sexual predators, fought for
laws to protect neighborhoods against gangs, supported tax caps,
worked to limit skyrocketing property tax assessments and brought
back more state money to local schools.
Welcome
Sen. Pankau!
[From
Sen. Bill Brady]
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