Redistricting Reform - Fair Map Amendment (LWVIL Issue)

3/26/2015: 2015/2016 REDISTRICTING REFORM/FAIR MAP AMENDMENT UPDATES

LWVGP is heavily involved in the efforts to get the Redistricting Amendment on the Nov. 2016 ballot.Our president, Cheryl Budzinski, highly recommends this web site.
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2014 REDISTRICTING REFORM/FAIR MAP AMENDMENT UPDATES
Redistricting Report for LWVIL Issues Committee October 17, 2014 Paula Lawson, Issue SpecialistRepresentatives from the groups that worked on the Yes for Independent Maps Campaign have had two meetings to evaluate the redistricting ballot initiative effort and to talk about next steps. At the meeting on October 10, 2014 six people were designated to work as a committee to develop a structure for running another campaign. Mary Schaafsma, LWVIL Executive Director, was designated to be on that committee.
A Redistricting Education Task Force facilitated by CHANGE Illinois will continue to invite feedback on the Yes for Independent Maps Campaign and educate the public about redistricting.
What can League members do?

• If you participated in the Yes Campaign please fill out the brief online feedback survey (http://bit.ly/1neixHE).
• Look at the Newsbound piece that explains the redistricting process and share it with others (http://newsbound.com/stacks/redistrict_il)
  
  

What else is happening in the area of redistricting?

• Rep. Mike Smiddy (D-Hillsdale) will introduce a redistricting reform amendment during the veto session.
• There will be about a half-dozen public education events around the state this fall especially focused on redistricting reform and diverse communities.
• The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a challenge to the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission (http://t.co/TlW9KMuHe4). The Arizona State Constitution was amended to allow a redistricting commission to draw congressional maps. The lawsuit to overturn this amendment is based on the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says that the "times, places and manner" of electing members of Congress "shall be prescribed in each state by the Legislature thereof." David Melton at ICPR is looking into the possibility of an amicus brief supporting an Independent Redistricting Commission, likely with national partners.
  
  

-------February 1, 2014: LWVGP Redistricting Report
LWVGP members had another great month in January! We, along with the League in Champaign, are leading the state for signatures turned in! We continue to coordinate Central IL volunteers to secure the signatures needed by April 1 to get redistricting reform on the November 2014 ballot as a constitutional amendment.
In January we:

• Staffed a petition drive every Saturday from 10 + noon at Apples Bakery, Peoria. Supporters can sign, pick up, return, and have notarized petitions. Just last Saturday, 19 petitions were returned.
• Partnered with the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce to collect signatures and distribute petitions at the annual State of the City address at the Civic Center.
• Hosted a regional meeting at the main branch Peoria library that attracted 26 new volunteers.
• Presented a televised program on how to collect signatures and distribute petitions to the Champaign League, and asked every League member to collect 100 signatures.
• Continue to individually collect large numbers of signatures.
• Accompanied other volunteers giving speeches to collect signatures.
  
  

In February, we will be attending LWVIL Issues Briefing to present on a panel strategies to collect signatures and request all League members to secure 100 signatures each.Thanks to all of you that are working on this important reform!
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February 1, 2014: Volunteers Needed for Redistricting Activities
We only have a couple of months left to meet the requirement of submitting 298,299 valid signatures to get redistricting reform on the November ballot. Please contact Jean Sanger, redistricting volunteer coordinator, at 309-682-2614 or [email protected] if you can volunteer. We have volunteer opportunities that include sitting at table, standing inside at entrances, and standing/walking outside (if weather permits). Time slots will come up for both daytime and evening hours, and all days of the week.
Mark your calendars for standing/walking outside opportunities for the St. Patrick's Day parade on March 17 and two weekends of the IHSA basketball tournament (March 13-15 & March 20-22).
We also are scheduling time slots for inside sitting and standing activities at local businesses and senior living facilities.
We hope that you can help us! Please let Jean know when you are available.
Tips to Collect Signatures for Redistricting
The League has, at its core, the value of promoting an open governmental system that is representative, accountable, and responsive. And the League has instantaneous, absolute credibility when it comes to making democracy work. So we are the ideal group to collect signatures for redistricting reform in IL.
We are asking each League member to collect at least 100 signatures on the petitions to get this critical reform on the ballot in November 2014. If every IL League member collected 100 signatures, the Yes for Independent Maps campaign would reach the number needed to get on the ballot.
So, request petitions from either indepdendentmaps.org or contacting Pat Landes (309-648-3504 or [email protected]), and then use the following tips to collect signatures. Completed, notarized petitions can be turned in by April 1 to:

• Apples Bakery, 8412 N. Knoxville, Peoria, every Saturday, 10 am + noon. Notary available to notarize.
• Mailed to Yes for Independent Maps, 300 N. Elizabeth St., Suite 220B, Chicago, IL 60607.
• At any LWVGP event or by contacting Landes.
  
  

Here are tips to collect your 100 signatures from people that you know. Here are some options to easily get at least 100 signatures per League member. First, always carry petitions with you, I call it conceal carry. And when you see someone you know, don't need to know them well, just whip out that petition and ask for their signature (if they are a registered voter).People you know include:
Neighbors - bldg Friends Relatives
Work related:

• Fellow employees
• Customers
• People you do business with as a customer o Hair stylist o Dentist o Auto repair o Others
  
  

Organizations, formal and informal, that meet regularly:

• Book clubs
• Fantasy football, basketball, etc.
• Service organizations o Rotary o Kiwanis o Others
• Military organizations o VFW, American Legion, etc.
• Community service organizations
• Committees, commissions, advisory groups, the list goes on
• Church and church related
• Retiree groups
• Card and game clubs
• Sports and work out groups
• Civic organizations
• Hobby groups
• School events for your children/grandchildren
• Alumnae groups
• Volunteer groups or activities
• Classes
• Any other groups
• Good luck! We can do this!

2013 REDISTRICTING REFORM/FAIR MAP AMENDMENT UPDATESNovember 17, 2013 from Pat Landes:The LWVGP is having great results in our efforts for redistricting reform!
A busy week coming up (the week of 11/18/13):

• Fran Kepler and Pat Landes are offering redistricting workshops at local libraries. They will educate participants on the reasons and process for the current initiative, Yes for Independent Maps and obtain signatures. They will also train people on passing petitions and petitions available for distribution. Dates, times, and library locations include:
  
  
• Tuesday, 11/19 @ 4 pm, Pekin Public Library, 301 S. 4th St., Pekin
• Tuesday, 11/19 @ 6 pm, Alpha Park Library, 3527 Airport Rd., Bartonville
• Wednesday 11/20 @ 2 pm, Lakeview Library, 1137 W. Lake, Peoria o Thursday, 11/21 @ 6 pm, Chillicothe Library, 430 N. Bradley, Chillicothe
• Table petition signing at Haddad's Market, Saturday, 11/23 from 10am + 6pm.
• Table petition signing at Spotted Cow Restaurant, 718 W. Glen, from 11 am + 1 pm on Mondays, 11/18 and 11/25.
• League members and other volunteers will host a table for signatures and distribute petitions at the Peoria Chamber of Commerce 38th Annual Community Thanksgiving Luncheon, Friday, 11/22 from 11 am + 1 pm. Note that the LWVIL and State Chamber are both supporters of Yes for Independent Mapping.
• Gary Stella, Cheryl Budzinski, and Pat Landes are taking turns staffing a `1 Stop Shop' for petitions every Saturday at Apple's Bakery, 8412 N. Knoxville, from 10 am + noon. Supporters may sign petitions, return them and get them notarized, and pick them up for distribution. Having a single place with consistent hours is proving successful in getting people to take petitions for circulation.
  
  

What we are accomplishing:

• League members and other volunteers worked the Veteran's Day Parade staging area and route 1/11 and collected 207 signatures.
• Lots of volunteers (some new) joined Leaguers at the Spotted Cow and Haddads to collect signatures. Hettie Beers and Fran Kepler collected 7 pages in just one shift!
• Cheryl Budzinski and Pat Landes distributed approximately 100 petitions at the first Saturday at Apple's Bakery and collected signatures, plus had 2 people return completed petitions.
• The LWVGP Redistricting Committee met for a strategy session to increase our signature production and focus on multiplier effect (having more people take petitions for circulation). Our ideas, and past two months' work, are being used as best practices by Yes for Independent Maps.
• In addition, we have been asked by Leagues in Champaign and Kewanee to speak, and to make a presentation at the LWVIL Issues Briefing in Chicago in February.
• In a short time we have turned in over 2,000 signatures due to our experienced League and other volunteers and internal communication by Sharon Maule and Elaine Hopkins. Elaine has also done a great job in the flurry of press releases which result in good turnout at our events.
  
  

What we need to do:

• We have an urgent need to both gather signatures and get others to distribute petitions. o The holidays are coming up....a productive opportunity when you attend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and other festive events that have guests registered as voters in IL. Have those petitions with you to get signed AND to send back with the other guests to gather signatures. Get petitions by going to independentmaps.org or contact a League member (Cheryl 309-253-9594 or Pat 309-648-3504). Make sure you get enough and use the leftovers for after New Years! o Think of places where large amount of people gather that we might have volunteers collect signatures. o Get on our volunteer list by contacting Jean Sanger 309-682-2614. o Write a letter to the editor. o Remind everyone we will be at Apples Bakery every Saturday though the end of March 2014. o Ask groups you belong to if they want a presentation and/or if you could set up a table.
  
  

-------November 1, 2013 REDISTRICTING REFORM: What Happened and What's Next
What happened in October?
October was a good month on our efforts to secure signatures to place redistricting reform on the November 2014 ballot as a constitutional amendment:

• Well attended Hot Topics lunch with guest speaker Michael Kolenc, Director of Yes for Independent Maps. We turned in 829 signatures at the lunch!
• League members staffed a table to Get out the Petitions at the Lakeview Library. We collected 57 signatures, but more importantly distributed 76 petitions with an anticipated return of a minimum of 570 signatures. This multiplier effect, having others circulate and return petitions, is a key element to securing the approximately 500.000 signatures we need by April 1.
• A few League members braved the cold rain to go to Springfield for the veto session and collected 325 damp signatures.
• Ended up the month with the League managing a booth at the Women's Lifestyle Show in Peoria and collecting over 300 signatures. The efforts, and results, of our experienced League members are being used as best practices through out the state. Congrats to all those that participated and made progress in changing the way our legislative districts are drawn.
  
  

What's next?Our League committee and the Yes for Independent Maps Regional Team are planning on how to more effectively collect signatures. Our committee is having a strategy session 11/05, just before the Regional meeting the day after.
The holidays are coming up and provide wonderful opportunities for progress on this key reform. As you plan your Thanksgiving activities, remember to be thankful for this unique opportunity to improve government in our state. Take petitions to your family/friend events and get signatures. Also distribute petitions to others and ask them to get them signed and put the voter back in charge in IL. Look forward for Thanksgiving 2014 when we will be able to celebrate the passage of this amendment to improve our state's future.
You can get petitions by going to independentmaps.org, Click on Get Involved, and mark the box for petitions. They will mail you petitions with directions. After completing the petitions and getting them notarized, you can mail them back to Yes for Independent Maps.
Your other option is to call either Cheryl Budzinski 309-253-9594 or Pat Landes 309-648-3504. They both have supplies of petitions to get to you and can also notarize your signatures.
And finally, you can volunteer to staff tables that we are arranging at various stores and events. Just contact Jean Sanger at 309-682-2614 or [email protected].