Thursday, December 24, 2009

Lake County LWV busy w/Fair Map petitions, Candidates Forums, and "Complete Count" census activities -


Announcing the Illinois *Fair Map* Amendment
Take Back Illinois with a Citizen Initiative on Redistricting!

The LWVIL Board voted unanimously to support a Citizen Initiative on Redistricting: the Illinois Fair Map Amendment. This proposed constitutional amendment would take redistricting out of the hands of the General Assembly, allow for public participation and input, create transparency, and provide a process that would make the once-every-decade map drawing process just and equitable.

Local Leagues will collect signatures on petitions to get the proposed amendment on
the November 2010 ballot, educate our communities on why it is important to support this initiative, and encourage others to support this effort as well. We are aiming for 500,000 signatures. We can do it!

More information: Press conference statement by Nancy Marcus, LWVIL president, on December 3, 2009.
For additional information go to
http://www.ilfairmap.com/

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Lake County Candidates Forums

10th Congressional District Candidates' Forum

Thursday, January 7, 2010, 7:00 p.m.

New Trier West High School, Bldg. C - Room 234

7 Happ Road, Northfield, IL

This forum is being held in cooperation with the several

Leagues of Women Voters in the 10th Congressional District of Illinois.

The Democratic and Republican candidates running in the

Feb. 2 Primary Election have been invited to participate.

8th Congressional District and 62nd

State Representative District

Sunday, January 10, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Grayslake Central High School, 400 N. Lake St.

Grayslake, IL

This forum is being co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lake County, the Grayslake Community

High School District #127, and the Daily Herald. For the

Congressional race, all 6 Republicans have agreed to attend. The Democratic write-in candidate,Jonathan Farnick, has

agreed to attend and we are waiting to hear from

Democratic incumbent, Melissa Bean.

For the 62nd state representative district race, Sandy Cole,

incumbent Republican and Paul Mitchell will participate. The Democratic primary race is not contested.

59th State Representative District, and

Judges for

Appellate Court and 19th Circuit Court

Sunday, January 17, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Laschen Community Center, Board Room

294 Evergreen Drive, Vernon Hills, IL

This forum is being co-sponsored by the League of Women

Voters of Lake County and the Daily Herald. Both the

Democratic and Republican candidates will be participating.

Judicial candidates for the Appellate Court and the

19th Circuit Court, 4th Sub-district have been invited. They will not debate, but each candidate may make a two minute presentation of his/her qualifications.

60th State Representative District and

the Lake County Sheriff

Sunday, January 24, 2010, 2:00 p.m.

Greenbelt Cultural Center

1215 Green Bay Road, North Chicago, IL

This forum is co-sponsored by the LWV-LC, the NAACP, and

the Waukegan Leadership Council. For the 60th State

Representative race, Eddie Washington, Democratic

incumbent, and Angelo Kyle will attend. For the Sheriff race, the Democrats John Krempotic and Douglas Roberts will

debate. The Republican side is not contested in the primary for either race.

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2010 Census: Striving for a "Complete Count"

in Illinois


Census questionnaires will go out in March, 2010. Population figures compiled by the Census every 10 years help

determine the distribution of federal funds and the setting of political boundaries. It is especially important to get

the word out to Illinois' often undercounted poor and minority residents. In 2000, only 55 percent of Chicagoans

mailed in their forms — one of the worst return rates among the nation's major cities.

For every person in Illinois who does not send their Census questionnaire back, the state misses out on hundreds

of dollars per year. The Brookings Institution puts that figure at $12,000 per person over the next ten years.

LWVIL Selected as Lead Agency for IL Complete Count

The League of Women Voters of Illinois is pleased to announce that they have been selected by Governor Quinn

as the lead agency for Illinois’ Complete Count Committee: "Everybody In.. No One Left Out!" for Census 2010.

The League will collaborate with the Governor's office to help select Complete Count Committee members from

non-profit organizations, business community, faith-based organizations, and the media. Working with these

organizations and local Leagues from around the state, the LWVIL will help ensure that Illinois is fully counted.

More info:
Gov. Quinn Launches State’s 2010 Census Push
Video of Gov. Quinn's News Conference

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The League of Women Voters of Lake County is pleased to be actively engaged in grass-roots activities that benefit our

communities, state, and nation. We also enjoy the comraderie of working with others on these projects and meeting for social

and educational purposes. Thank you for your interest in the League of Women Voters.