Jack Franks Reapportionment Ploy Got Result He Wants

Jack Franks got this photo coverage in the Chicago Tribune.

Jack Franks got this photo coverage in the Chicago Tribune.

With a Cook County court having ruled that the reapportionment constitutional amendment does not meet Illinois constitutional muster to get on the ballot, it seems appropriate to re-run this May 4, 2016 article.

It tells of the how the Democrats pretended to want to a fairer remap process by passing this version, which, of course, did not get passed the State Senate.
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Today in the Chicago Tribune, Democratic Party State Rep. Jack Franks got the biggest photo.

He’s  making a speech on the House floor, the article below says.

It’s in support of his constitutional amendment to change the reapportionment process.

I have outlined the hypocrisy of his proposal to take legislators out of the process:

Jack Franks on Reapportionment: “Do as I say, not as I did.”

But all was not roses for Franks on Tuesday.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mark Brown described what Franks was doing.

He resurrected former Chicago Mayor Harold Washington’s famous description of legislative shenanigans:

“Hocus pocus dominocus.”

He continued,

“Politics often involved slight of hand, giving the illusion of doing one thing when quite the opposite is actually what is happening.”

Brown concedes that Franks’ proposal “could very well be the best means to achieve that end [fair districts], although the evidence is that it’s just being used as another maneuver to fool us.”

Jack Franks

Jack Franks

The columnist points out that the Democrats are making this effort “to cover themselves politically” because of the petition-driven constitution amendment on reapportionment.

Constitutional amendments need to be passed by both Houses in the same form by the end of this week.

“Except that does not seem to be the plan,” Brown writes.

“Instead, legislators in both chambers are preparing to ignore the other’s legislation.

“That way they can all say they voted for legislative districting reform–without actually accomplishing anything.”


Comments

Jack Franks Reapportionment Ploy Got Result He Wants — 2 Comments

  1. So I haven’t had breakfast yet & gagging already reading about Franks hypocritical dirty tricks.

    Cal you should have put the the more
    Sinister picture of Franks up with the
    Goatee ( instead of the one with the creepy smile) it would have gone well
    With a political ‘hocus pocus’ theme.

    Well, maybe I’ll lose some weight, since
    Franks & the whole national race is so
    Nauseating day after day for weeks ahead.

  2. Here is the link (URL) to the May 5, 2016 article.

    http://mchenrycountyblog.com/2016/05/04/jack-franks-reapportionment-ploy-gets-result-wants

    +++++++++

    There was also a Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment for Redistricting.

    HJRCA 58 & SJRCA 30.

    The House version died in the Senate.

    The Senate version died in the House.

    The leader of the House and Senate are both Democrats.

    The Democrats have a supermajority in the House and Senate, which means they can override a Governor veto.

    The House and Senate Democrat leadership did not want a Redistricting measure put on the ballot.

    The Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan, wants to prevent the voter initiative, Independent Maps (Independent Map Amendment), from being placed on the ballot.

    A lawsuit was filed in Cook County Circuit Court by Peoples Map to prevent the Independent Map Amendment from being placed on the ballot.

    Peoples Map won in Cook County Circuit Court, and that case is now being appealed to the State Supreme Court.

    +++++++

    The current redistricting laws are inadequate as technology has evolved to the point where large sums of data can now be quickly analyzed so specific voters can be mapped in or out of a district.

    This benefits the party in power who draws the maps.

    Illinois legislative district maps are among the worst in the country, with boundaries that zig zag every which way, dividing communities such as Crystal Lake into 3 State Representative and 3 State Senate Districts.

    That hinders the ability of the press and the public to understand government, legislation and politics.

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