Illinois Fair Map Amendment -- What is it and why should you care?

Today in Illinois the standard assumption is that our legislators pick their voters rather than the voters pick their legislators. Why do Illinoisans say that? Because of how Illinois draws legislative districts after every census. For the past three decades legislators have created their districts after drawing a name out of a hat. Illinois is the ONLY state in the nation that allows such a process to determine who and how legislative districts are drawn. The result of this process is that 98% of the elections for the Illinois legislature are won by the incumbent.

To change this process and take it away from the elected officials and put it in the hands of an independent commission to make redistricting more transparent, fair and accessible to the public, we need your help.

A citizen led petition drive is underway right now to place this issue on the ballot in November. We need to college 500,000 signatures by April 1, 2010 to make this happen.

The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors has endorsed the Illinois Fair Map Amendment and will be working to get signatures from the business community. We hope that YPO will join us in this effort and here is what you can do as individual and as an organization.

Go to www.ilfairmap.com  and educate yourself on the changes
Print off petitions and circulate them to your co-workers, friends and family. PLEASE NOTE: You can circulate petitions from ANY county but please be sure that the people who sign are 1. Registered voters in Illinois and 2. Residents of the City or County listed at the top of the petition and 3. Be sure you print and circulate BOTH sides of the petition - if the verbiage is not on the back of a signed petition it will not be valid and 4. Send your completed petitions in no later than April 1, 2010. If you need someone to notarize your petition, contact the Chamber office.

Talk about the Illinois Fair Map Amendment and get signatures at YPO events.

Take your petitions to every meeting you go to and get signatures from other participants.
If you have questions, please contact Roberta Parks at the Chamber office at rparks@chamber.h-p.org or 309.231.1724.

This is a GREAT opportunity for you to make a difference in our state in the months and years to come.