Senate District 44 'Week in Review'       Send a link to a friend

From Sen. Bill Brady

[JAN. 8, 2005] 

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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