http://whiteside.weareillinois.org Whiteside County Republicans en-us

ROCK FALLS – Some Illinois citizens have mobilized to ensure more fairly drawn legislative districts. A petition drive to get the Fair Map Amendment on the November ballot is in full swing; 500,000 signatures are needed by May 2.

Petitions had been available in the offices of State Sen. Tim Bivins, R-Dixon, and State Rep. Jerry Mitchell, R-Sterling. They were removed a couple of weeks ago, though, after House and Senate ethics officials noted that making them available in taxpayer-funded legislative offices was a violation.

Campaigning for or against a referendum question is “prohibited political activity,” according to the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act. Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for House Minority Leader Christine Radogno, said it was an unintentional violation, and no action will be taken against the local lawmakers.

Mitchell’s and Bivins’ support for the amendment remains strong.

“[The current process] skews a district on how people voted in the primary. It freezes out competition,” Mitchell said.

Embracing the change would translate into higher voter turnout, he said.

If the amendment were to be put on the ballot and pass, an independent commission would create legislative district boundaries, taking public comment into account. Specific criteria would be implemented to protect minority voting rights and eliminate any party advantage.

Bivins said a commission would help ensure better representation for Illinois residents.

The Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce also supports the amendment.

“The way that it’s done isn’t fair. The change is a step in the right direction of reform,” said Kimberly Ewoldsen, chamber executive director.

The amendment would remove some of the partisanship from how districts are created and encourage more political participation, she said. “It’s now more geared toward incumbents.”

In addition, representatives would be more aware of local issues if they had streamlined districts, Ewoldsen said.

A petition, which can be signed only by registered Whiteside County voters, is available at the chamber, which also is hosting a petition party March 23. (More information will be posted as it becomes available at www.saukvalleyareachamber.com online.)

Not everyone believes the amendment is an effective solution to redistricting problems. That includes John Bambenek of Champaign, vice chairman of the Republican Liberty Caucus.

Bambenek said the Illinois Constitution virtually repels citizen-driven initiatives.

“It was written to protect the government from the voters,” he said.

The fair map amendment ultimately would be deemed unconstitutional, since no structural or procedural changes are being proposed, Bambenek said. It only restricts who serves on the redistricting committee.

Bambenek suggested a remedy – adding or subtracting a House member.

“They could have dealt with redistricting directly. That would have required them to deal with it,” he said.

Where to sign

Registered voters who wish to sign a Fair Map Amendment petition are encouraged to do so by the end of March; it’s available at the following locations:

Rock Falls: Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce, 601 W. 10th St.; Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m.

Sterling: Sauk Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, 211 Locust St.; Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Dixon: Dixon Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 W. 2nd St., Suite 301, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Amboy: Lee County Farm Bureau, 37 S. East Ave.; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Morrison: Whiteside County Farm Bureau, 100 E. Knox St.; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Oregon: Ogle County Farm Bureau, 421 W. Pines Road; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Mount Carroll: Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S. Clay St.; Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Princeton: Bureau County Farm Bureau, 535 Elm Place; Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Illinois Fair Map Amendment highlights

The League of Women Voters of Illinois is spearheading the petition drive to place the Fair Map Amendment on the Nov. 2 ballot. Visit www.ilfairmap.com for more information.

Here are some amendment highlights:

¦ Gives map-drawing duties to an independent commission.

¦ Requires a two-thirds majority vote of the General Assembly to approve commission maps, and does not allow the General Assembly to draw maps on its own.

¦ Removes the governor from the approval process.

¦ Increases public transparency by requiring public hearings, public display of proposed maps and allowing submission of maps by the general public.

¦ Requires the commission to use neutral criteria that will specifically protect minority voting rights and eliminate unduly favoring a political party.

Source: www.ilfairmap.com, Illinois Fair Map Amendment

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]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=8730 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=8730 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 08:10:47 GMT

February 25, 2010
Section: Local



Whiteside GOP looks for board candidates: Party seeks to even political lines; seven spots on ballot open

SAM SMITH?? 800-7984085, ext. 525 SAM SMITH MORRISON – Republican Party leadership in Whiteside County is running ads seeking candidates to challenge the Democratic majority on the county board. Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 2-1 on the 27-member board, a margin Whiteside County GOP Chairwoman Robbin Blackert hopes to reduce in November.


Seven GOP spots on the November ballot remain open across the county’s three board districts. Through the slating process, political parties may fill ballot vacancies with candidates who didn’t go.

Advertising for candidates “is not something we’ve done before, but we should have,” Blackert said. “If we don’t have a candidate, we’re not holding [Democrats] accountable. It’s not even a race.”

For example, in District 2, all nine seats are held by Democrats, and the GOP has no candidates on the November ballot.

Current openings for GOP candidates for the county board are:

- One in District 1, which covers Genesee, Jordan and Sterling townships.

- Four in District 2, which covers Hopkins, Lyndon, Coloma, Hume, Montmorency, Tampico and Hahnaman townships.

- Two in District 3, which covers Fulton, Ustick, Clyde, Garden Plain, Union Grove, Mount Pleasant, Albany, Newton, Fenton, Erie, Portland and Prophetstown townships.

A candidate must be at least 18 and be a legal voter, and have been a resident of the county for at least one year by Nov. 2.

Anyone interested should call Blackert, 815-213-1107.

Copyright 2010, Sauk Valley Newspapers (Dixon-Sterling, IL). All Rights Reserved.




]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=8729 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=8729 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:58:27 GMT
ROCK FALLS – John Stauter of Sterling was honored as the Republican of the Year by the Whiteside County Republicans Friday, at the party’s “An Evening With Lincoln” bicentennial celebration of the president’s birth.

About 180 guests, including Republicans from Whiteside, Lee, Ogle, and Stephenson counties, attended the dinner at the Rock Falls Holiday Inn, to recognize Stauter and other party faithful.

Whiteside County Central Committee Chairwoman Robbin Blackert presented Stauter, the county Republicans’ treasurer, with a plaque.

Stauter thanked his fellow Republicans, saying, “I just did what a good treasurer does and helped out where I could.”

Blackert also presented Prophetstown resident Jerri Robinson with the Volunteer of the Year award, citing Robinson’s work on fundraisers, serving on the bicentennial dinner committee and other efforts.




]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=6798 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=6798 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:52:05 GMT By Tara Becker - ?tbecker@svnmail.com

The Whiteside County Republican Central Committee presented a check to the Sterling/Rock Falls Historical Society to go towards the restoration of the Manahan Home in Sterling. Abraham Lincoln slept in the home when he visited Sterling in 1856. Pictured: Robbin Blackert, Whiteside County Republican Chairman (left-right), David Lowe, President Sterling/Rock Falls Histrical Society, John Stauter, Whiteside County Republican Treasurer. Second Row: JoAnn Lyon, Wolf Koch, Dr. Jim Lyon, Dick Breitweiser. Third Row: Richard Dombrowski, Terry Buckaloo and Tim Keller. (Alex T. Paschal - SVN)
STERLING – Whiteside County Republicans gave Abraham Lincoln a belated 200th birthday gift – a donation to help restore the Manahan home, where the future president spent a night in 1856.

The party gave the Sterling-Rock Falls Historical Society a check Tuesday for $1,640, money raised from a dessert auction during its “Evening with Lincoln” dinner Feb. 20.

Robbin Blackert, chairwoman of the Republican Central Committee, said the historic Manahan home is an important asset to the community.

“With the bad economy, charitable contributions are going to suffer, so it’s up to charitable organizations to donate to a cause like this,” Blackert said. “Our main goal is to be more community-minded and do something that will benefit the entire county.”

Lincoln stayed at the small house at 603 E. Third St., then owned by former Whiteside County Sheriff William Manahan, while he was in town to speak in support of John C. Fremont, the first Republican candidate for president.

The historical society bought the 159-year-old home and began its restoration in 2007.

Society President David Lowe said about $160,000 has been raised through donations and grants, including $60,000 in matching grant funds from Sterling Today Inc., a local nonprofit economic development group.

“It’s very difficult to raise money these days, but the community has responded beautifully,” Lowe said.

He said he does not know how much the full-restoration will cost or when the work will be completed.

“It’s hard to tell when you do a project like this,” he said. “We are just taking it all as it comes.”




]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=6797 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=6797 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:50:11 GMT ROCK FALLS – The Whiteside County Republicans had a birthday party Friday – and the man they were honoring was able to make it, in spirit.
"An Evening with Lincoln" was presented at the Rock Falls Holiday Inn, where about 180 people celebrated the life of Abraham Lincoln. Arriving guests were greeted by a Lincoln lookalike, the Rev. Robert Sharp of Sterling, and well-shined pennies were on each of the name tags.
While the evening was presented by Republicans, there were some Democrats in the crowd. "Lincoln was a man who went beyond party," GOP 40th District state Rep. Jerry Mitchell said,
Lincoln's sense of justice was described by keynote speaker Guy Fraker, a lawyer from Bloomington, who spoke about Lincoln's travels on the Eighth Judicial Circuit. Lincoln tried cases on the circuit for 23 years.
Fraker said although many of Lincoln's rivals would take on causes, Lincoln was a hard-working lawyer who respected people. "The experience of Lincoln on the circuit was what made him."
Fraker also discussed the importance of the Lincoln-Manahan Home in Sterling, which is being restored. Lincoln slept at the home during an 1856 visit to Sterling.
"The story of the circuit is more about Lincoln's networking. The home illustrates that networking," Fraker said.
One of Lincoln's legislative associates, Robert Wilson, was appointed Whiteside County clerk at the time of Lincoln's visit, and asked William Manahan, then the Whiteside County sheriff, to let Lincoln stay the night, Fraker said.
After Fraker's presentation, the Republicans honored retired sheriff Roger Schipper for his 30 years as sheriff, and Republican Tim Zollinger for his eight years as the county Republicans' central committee chairman.
Current chairman Robbin Blackert presented plaques to the county Republicans' treasurer and Republican of the Year John Stauter, and Prophetstown resident and Volunteer of the Year Jerri Robinson.




]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=6796 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=6796 Tue, 02 Jun 2009 12:31:32 GMT
Sheriff's deputies arrested Jose Carrizoza, 39, of Wenden, Ariz., on Oct. 30, after he allegedly failed to signal while getting off Interstate 88 near Erie.

A drug-sniffing dog found 6 kilograms of cocaine, about 13 pounds, in the Ford Ranger's toolbox, according to a federal complaint filed Nov. 4. The drugs have a street value of $600,000, investigators said. Federal penalties for that much cocaine can bring up to life in prison, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Love said Carrizoza likely would receive 20 years if convicted. There is no parole in the federal system.

He faces 15 to 60 years on a state charge of possession with intent to deliver."It's a very friendly conversation; we're just trying to figure out what the best thing to do is - where is the best place to continue prosecution," Love said.

"We've had a really good relationship with the U.S. attorney," said Whiteside County State's Attorney Gary Spencer. "What we're doing is looking at how to get the longer sentence."

If the federal prosecution fails, "I can always bring him back here and continue [county] prosecution," Spencer said.

Carrizoza is not cooperating with investigators, so they don't know where the drugs were headed, according to the complaint.Carrizoza's lack of cooperation with investigators is "likely the result of him exercising his right not to speak against himself," said his appointed attorney Alan Cooper.

Carrizoza has been transferred from Whiteside County jail, where was being held on $5 million bond, to U.S. Marshal's custody in Ogle County jail.

Federal and county prosecutors have at least 2 months to make a decision, Spencer said



]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5778 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5778 Tue, 06 Jan 2009 12:17:49 GMT
CELEBRATING LINCOLN 201 YEARS LATER
WHITESIDE LINCOLN DINNER
Holiday Inn, Rock Falls
Cocktails 5:30 - 6:30
Dessert Auction 6:30
Dinner 7:00
Keynote Speaker: IL State Historian Tom Schwartz
Tickets are $35.00 Per Person
Tables of 8 $280.00
Contact Robbin Blackert (815) 213-1107 For Ticket Information


]]> http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/eventdetail.aspx?eventid=3698 http://whiteside.weareillinois.org/eventdetail.aspx?eventid=3698 Wed, 24 Feb 2010 09:14:23 GMT