Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods), House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), Senate Republican Caucus Chair Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) and House Assistant Minority Leader Tim Butler (R-Springfield) today introduced the People’s Independent Maps Act to allow Illinois legislative redistricting maps to be created by an independent commission, rather than politicians. 

REIMAGINE ILLINOIS
“Reimagine Illinois” important to families throughout the state. The Reimagine Illinois platform, introduced by the House Republican Caucus earlier this month, calls for treating recent upheavals in Illinois’ economy and politics as an opportunity for new thinking. Our members’ four goals include:

• Ending the culture of corruption
• Responsible fiscal leadership
• Growing jobs and opportunities for our families
• Ensuring public safety 

Chicago and Illinois took their turn on the world stage in 1893 when the city hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition, better known as the World’s Fair. It was a chance to reacquaint the nation and the world with the Midwest’s pre-eminent city after it had risen from the ashes of the 1871 fire.

In the decades that followed, Chicago and Illinois re-emerged as the crossroads of America, with the construction of railroads and then highways, and the early days of aviation. With its status as a world-class city in the center of the North American continent; and with so many of the leaders in the nation’s movement toward equal rights for women based here in Illinois; it was only fitting that in 1925 Chicago would play host to the first Woman’s World Fair.

Imagine an Illinois with the best-trained public safety personnel, and where public safety agencies function the way they are supposed to.

Every night on the news we see stories of murders, carjackings, shootings and other acts of violence. Law enforcement officers don’t get the support they need from state government, and law-abiding citizens have to navigate endless bureaucracy just to get paperwork approved. 

Imagine an Illinois with limitless opportunities.

This year’s Census figures look to confirm a troubling trend: more people are leaving our state in search of opportunities elsewhere. Neighboring states and other regions of the country are surging ahead, while we lag behind. Economic development coordinators in every part of the state all have their stories of the big job-creator they hoped to land, only to see them pick a different state with a better jobs climate. 

REIMAGINE ILLINOIS
Illinois House Republican Caucus Launches ‘Reimagine Illinois’ Platform. The Illinois House Republican caucus has launched a new comprehensive platform called Reimagine Illinois. The plan outlines House Republicans’ priorities for the 102nd General Assembly and asks Illinoisans to ‘Reimagine’ their State government if certain public policy goals are met. 

Imagine an Illinois with real fiscal leadership.

Each year it seems like Illinois’ fiscal condition gets a little bit worse. Credit ratings fall, pension debts rise, debt gets piled upon more debt in an endless cycle. Legislators wink and nod at that line in the state Constitution which says “appropriations for a fiscal year shall not exceed funds estimated by the General Assembly to be available during that year.”