SPRINGFIELD, Ill., Feb. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Dennis FitzSimons, Chair of the Independent Maps coalition, issued the following statement in response to President Obama's address to the Illinois General Assembly where he called for an end to gerrymandering of legislative districts for political purposes:

"People all over Illinois – and now the White House – want to end the practice of Illinois politicians picking their voters and drawing partisan maps behind closed doors. By removing politics from the process and creating a bipartisan, independent commission to draw legislative maps, the Independent Map Amendment will produce the reform called for by President Obama and protect and strengthen minority-voting rights.

"We are in agreement with President Obama who told the Illinois General Assembly: In America, politicians should not pick their voters, voters should pick their politicians.

"It's up to voters to make it happen, and we urge Illinoisans to volunteer through our website (MapAmendment.org) and help make reform a reality. Join our broad coalition of Democrats, Republicans and independent voters and help make the General Assembly a governing body of, by and for the people of Illinois."

About Independent Maps
Independent Maps is a non-partisan statewide coalition supporting the petition campaign to place the Independent Map Amendment before voters in November 2016.  The Independent Maps coalition's board of directors includes prominent members of both major political parties, as well as leaders from the clergy, academia and philanthropic organizations. For more information, visit www.MapAmendment.org.

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SOURCE Independent Maps