Search query: Illinois

1. Illinois Times runs op-ed saying open primaries and redistricting reform would help ease partisan gridlock in Washington. "Open primaries would help moderate the nation’s politics, as would bipartisan redistricting commissions capable of doing away with gerrymandered districts. Increasing voter participation and improving the integrity of our elections would also help. " The only problem is we are not defining what "moderate the nation's politics" actually means, and we have to distinguish

According to a Washington Post Election Lab projection from May 2014, an incumbent in 405 of the 435 House contests has a 90 percent chance or greater of winning his or her seat, leaving only 30 seats still relatively up for grabs. Other prominent forecasters, such as the Cook or Rothenberg outfits, have similar predictions that approximately 10 percent of House races are competitive.These numbers follow a trend that has been seen in recent election cycles. In the 2002 and 2004 elections, a majo

In Illinois, a Republican challenger recently announced the formation of a small business coalition he hopes will carry him to an upset victory in November. Currently a representative in the General Assembly, Illinois Republican Mike Bost, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Bill Enyart in the 12th Congressional District, announced in a press release that he has assembled a coalition of 25 regional business leaders to assist him in formulating policy. Among the industries they represent are

29,707. That is the number of signatures collected to get gubernatorial candidate Scott Summers onto the general election ballot in Illinois as the Green Party candidate. Around 40,000 signatures were collected to get Libertarian candidate Chad Grimm onto the ballot as well. Why does this matter? Because in Illinois a “new party” needs to get 25,000 signatures, minimum, in order to gain access to the ballot. To better understand this, it is important to know the difference between “established

On Friday, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mary Mikva issued a ruling that effectively ended the redistricting reform efforts of Yes for Independent Maps. Citing previously rejected ballot initiatives, she rejected the group's initiative, saying: "Precedent dictates a very narrow provision for allowing the voters to directly enact amendments to the Illinois Constitution of 1970." Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution states that "Amendments shall be limited to structural and procedural subj

David Crane, an adviser to former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, declared in 2010 that public pension crises nationwide represent “the largest single financial issue facing state and local governments." According to one estimate, state and municipal governments across the country have a total unfunded pension liability of $4.1 trillion. Several states are on the verge of insolvency, and some cities have notoriously declared bankruptcy because of unmanageable debt obligations, includ

It’s no secret that the Keystone issue is a political powder keg. Neither is it a secret that it’s a controversial topic pitting two traditional foes: environmentalists versus big oil. Very murky, however, is what benefit Keystone XL offers the United States.As in so many situations, in order to understand the present, we need to understand the past and Keystone has a bit of a checkered and rapidly evolving past. With blinding speed, progress on the Keystone project began in 2005 when it was pr

Is there a way to end gridlock forever? What about gerrymandering, closed primaries, and high-barrier requirements for outsiders? Even then, what about the complete dependence candidates have on a tiny group of funders that have corrupted our government? When considered all together, we are back to a time of taxation without any meaningful representation. A conclusion that a recent Princeton study resoundingly confirms. A wave of bold upstart independents from across the U.S. believe there is

An Illinois term limits initiative looks to have enough valid signatures to appear on the November ballot even as some obstacles remain. The Committee for Legislative Reform and Term Limits has collected over 500,000 signatures. 300,000 valid signatures are necessary for an amendment to appear on the general election ballot and a preliminary review by state election officials estimates that there should be at least 330,000 valid names.If the number of signatures are determined to be valid, Illi

For the 46.5 million Americans living below the poverty line, 16 million of which are children, life has become a consistent struggle. This struggle does not simply begin and end with monetary concerns, but in fact surrounds both a physical and mental exertion of the individual.Using the national U.S. census and NCCP, researchers found that in 2013, the poverty line rested at $11,490, a number which equates an individual working full time while only making $5.00 – far below the national minimum