Cook County and the Illinois Farm Bureau Joins the Illinois Fair Map Coalition

Joining with groups from throughout Illinois, Cook County Farm Bureau (Cook CFB) is working to change how legislative districts for the General Assembly are drawn.

 The Illinois Fair Map Amendment provides for the drawing of General Assembly districts by a bipartisan commission intended to draw maps without regard to prior voting data, political demographics or incumbency.

 According to the Illinois State Board of Elections, since 2001 there have been 630 contested races for the Illinois House of Representatives and State Senate.  Of those races, 547 were incumbents seeking reelection.  Incumbents have lost just 11 races since 2001- meaning that incumbents have a 98% reelection rate. 

Cook CFB members will be circulating petitions from February till March 31.  Petitions will be mailed to voting members as part of the 2010 Viewpoint Survey; will be available during Farm Bureau sponsored meetings and events; and will be available at Cook CFB office.  To sign a petition, you must be registered to vote. 

 Members and those individuals interested in a non-partisan approach to legislative redistricting are encouraged to sign the Illinois Fair Map Amendment petition.

 For additional information, please contact Bona Heinsohn at (708) 354-3276 or via email at bona@cookcfb.org.  Information is also available at www.cookcfb.org. 

Farm Bureau supports a restructuring of the Illinois legislative redistricting process so that it is conducted by an unbiased third party, is not be based on political affiliation and prior election results, and districts will be compact, contiguous, and impartial to party or incumbency.  Districts should follow county, township, and municipal boundaries as much as possible.

Click here for the Illinois Fair Map Amendment Petition Drive and Plan of Action