News Coverage: League of Women Voters

Since artist Layne Jackson learned she had the opportunity to paint a portrait of her alderman, she's pondered how to best portray her ward's representative. Participating in the Chicago Aldermen Project, a collaborative effort by local artists to portray civic leaders, she is charged with painting the 1^st Ward alderman.

But Jackson, active in 1^st Ward politics, has a wild card: Her ward has no alderman. Manny Flores vacated his seat in January to become chairman of the Illinois Commerce Commission.

So Jackson will take some creative liberties in depicting what a 1^st Ward alderman could be. Read more...

Gov. Pat Quinn's flagging candidacy rebounded last night as he scored damaging points in a televised debate against his chief Democratic rival, state Comptroller Dan Hynes.

Quinn has been battered for weeks by revelations over a controversial decision to release scores of state prison inmates early.

But during the debate, hosted by ABC 7 and the League of Women Voters, Quinn took the offensive by highlighting Hynes' failed campaign against Barack Obama in the 2004 Democratic U.S. Senate primary. Read more...

Every 10 years, Illinois lawmakers bust out their markers and redraw the lines that make up the state’s legislative districts.

The process is called redistricting, and it’s guaranteed to produce some serious political strife during the year to come.

“Redistricting, to me, is the root of all evil,” says Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican running for governor. Read more...