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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Steve Brown:
217-782-0109
800-345-7256
July 9, 2001
SPEAKER MADIGAN
NAMES 1ST HISPANIC, MAJORITY
LEADER CURRIE TO REMAP PANEL
Illinois House
Speaker Michael J. Madigan named Jorge Ramirez of Chicago and
Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie as his appointees
on the Legislative Redistricting Commission.
Ramirez, who
serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the 17,000 member Local 546
of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union,
and Currie, who represents the 25th Representative
District, will work with six other commission appointees to approve
a legislative redistricting plan based on the 2000 census.
"Mr. Ramirez
is a skilled negotiator and attorney who has devoted his professional
life to working to improve the lives of working families. Rep.
Currie is one of the brightest members of the legislature. Her
colleagues hold her in the highest regard," said Madigan.
"I am proud to
appoint Jorge Ramirez. He will be the first Hispanic to ever serve
on this commission," Madigan added.
"I will ask these
appointees to work with other members of the commission to fashion
a redistricting plan that is fair and reasonable to residents
in every region of the state before the August 10, 2001 deadline,"
the Speaker said.
Since graduating
from the Chicago-Kent College of Law in 1997, Ramirez has held
a variety of positions with the UFCW and worked as a mediator
with the Illinois Dept. of Human Rights.
Currie was first
elected to the Illinois House in 1979. She has chaired a number
of committees and is the first woman to serve as Majority Leader
in the history of the state.
Madigan said he
expects the commission to hold a series of meetings beginning
July 20 in Springfield.
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