Sample letter to send to Governor Quinn

The Honorable Patrick Quinn

Governor

State Capitol, Room 207

Springfield, Illinois 62706

 

Dear Gov. Quinn:

 

The General Assembly soon will begin drafting new legislative district maps using new Census data. Even though these maps are important to voters and will be used to elect our representatives for the next decade, there is no guarantee that the General Assembly will give citizens time to react to proposed maps or offer their own ideas.

 

You can help make that happen by urging leaders of the General Assembly to hold public hearings on any maps they draft for consideration by the House and Senate and to take the time to listen to voters in all parts of Illinois.

 

The General Assembly also should give citizens the ability to use Census data and mapping software to draft and propose maps. Those map-drawing resources, as well as draft maps, should be posted on a state website easily accessible to Illinoisans.

 

Please tell legislative leaders that – unless they allow for adequate public involvement in the legislative process – you will take the maps to every corner of Illinois and give Illinoisans an opportunity to learn more about the proposed new district lines and react to the proposals.

 

On January 4, the General Assembly approved Senate Bill 3976, which contains something called the “Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act.” However, that transparency language falls far short of what is needed to allow the public to see and participate in the drawing of district maps.

 

You can help make transparency become a reality.

 

Will you give the public a voice in the redistricting process? Will you bring sunshine to the map-drawing process?