Coalition for Change IL3 Calls for Transparency in 32nd District Appointment Process
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2021
Press Contact: José Torrez | (773) 332-2503 | [email protected]
CHICAGO — Grassroots groups in the 32nd House District are once again calling for transparency in the appointment process following the resignation of state representative André Thapedi. After doing this so many times in a closed-door back room, we wish our committeepeople didn’t need to be dragged by the grassroots to do the right thing. But, here we go again.
With very little notice to the public, a notice was issued via a closed email thread about the appointment hearing scheduled for Thursday, April 1st. For our elected leaders who claim to belong to the party of transparency and unity, their choice to actively exclude community voices tells us what they seek to serve — the Machine and the status quo.
The appointment process remains an undemocratic process by excluding community voices. Rather than be accountable to the residents of the 32nd District, 10 committeepeople will determine who represents them, and there is no mention of a public Zoom link on that notice — one year into a pandemic with surely some staffer that can operate a Zoom if the elected leaders won’t. Just when we thought Michael Madigan’s successive resignations signaled the end of the Machine, the beginning of this process is proving us wrong.
Increasingly, the appointment process is the only way we get new representatives and senators in Illinois. Since January, grassroots groups have demanded transparency — and some committeepeople have committed to it — in the 7th Senate District following the resignation of former Sen. Heather Steans, in the 22nd House District following the resignations of former Reps. Michael Madigan and Edward Guerra Kodatt, and are about to begin that process again.
We are issuing a grassroots petition for the 32nd District demanding the following:
- Transparent process and posting of candidate resumes online
- Open candidate forum on Saturday, March 27th
- Public Zoom link available on April 1st for the hearing
- Public roll call votes and deliberations
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