* Gov. Pat Quinn signed a new redistricting reform bill into law yesterday. The signing ceremony was held in Chinatown, which got the most focus at the presser…
Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn signed legislation Monday that is designed to protect minority voting rights.
The governor says the law will prevent a community’s political make-up from being weakened by dividing into multiple voting districts.
Chinatown is one such community. It is currently divided into four parts of city wards and three state senate districts.
Those three Senate districts cover the South and West Sides.
But Asian-American populations are much higher in a few other Senate districts on the North Side and the North Shore. Asian-American’s make up 19.4 percent of Sen. Ira Silverstein’s 8th Senate District and 11.7 percent of Sen. Heather Steans’ district, which is directly East. The 9th Senate District is straight North of Steans and is represented by Sen. Jeff Schoenberg. It’s Asian-American population is 8.9 percent. All of those have higher percentages of Asian-Americans than any of the Chinatown districts. There are also some big numbers in the collars as well.
* What the new law does…
The bill provides that during the redistricting process political territories “shall be drawn to create crossover districts, coalition districts, or influence districts.” Here’s how the legislation defines those three areas:
* A crossover district is one where “a racial minority or language minority constitutes less than a majority of the voting-age population but where this minority, at least potentially, is large enough to elect the candidate of its choice with help from voters who are members of the majority and who cross over to support the minority’s preferred candidate.”
* A coalition district means a district where “more than one group of racial minorities or language minorities may form a coalition to elect the candidate of the coalition’s choice.”
* And an influence district is one “where a racial minority or language minority can influence the outcome of an election even if its preferred candidate cannot be elected.”
Chinatown would be located in a new “influence district.” It’s very possible that new North Side “influence districts” would be drawn as well. Koreans, Indians, Pakistanis, etc. abound in those parts. Silverstein’s district is my favorite area of Chicago, by the way. You want diversity? Go there. Walk a block and you’re in another country. Walk another block and you’re in another continent. I love it.
More…
“One of the purposes of the law is to make sure that our racial minorities, our language minorities, citizens who live in a particular area, get a fair chance to elect a person of their choice,” [Gov. Pat Quinn] said.
The federal Voting Rights Act requires map drawers to give special protection to districts that contain mostly minorities. The state law aims to also protect the interest of minorities — defined by race or those who speak the same language — who might make up less than 50 percent a district.
* But there are problems…
According to the state’s Constitution, districts must be “compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population.” The contiguous requirement should be easy to follow, according to political scientist Chris Mooney, but in order to keep populations of a certain ethnicity in the same districts, the districts could end up looking like an octopus.
“Districts look, they have looked pretty weird for various reasons — political reasons and trying to develop demographics profiles in particular,” said Mooney, a professor of political studies with the University of Illinois’ Institute of Government and Public Affairs. “But there’s only so much you can do given how many people live where and who they are.”
Population bloomed in Kendall County by more than 25 percent during the past 10 years. Its Hispanic numbers grew, though that demographic still makes up a small percentage of the total population, according to Kendall County Democratic Party Chair Chuck Sutcliff. To group enough Hispanics together so they could have a significant impact on elections would take creative map drawing, Sutcliff said.
“It would have to be a strange, strange, (district.) Of course in redistricting the possibility of a strange looking representative area isn’t unusual. There have always been those kinds of unusual strange ties of one population to another,” he said.
And that’s the rub, according to Mooney. There are so many facets to redistricting that one issue might dominate in one district while several issues might go into forming another.
“There are many things that people want to see in districts. The problem is that they sometimes conflict with one another and the ones that are the least required by law and least clear cut, like compactness, those suffer,” Mooney said.
All true. Plus, there are things like where to put that Chinatown “influence.” Does it go in a black or a Latino district? Considering low voter turnout among Latinos, Chinatown might have more influence in their district. But Latinos might not want to take the risk of losing a seat.
* Another problem with the new law is that reformers were upset with the “transparency” provisions. The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform sums it up…
The new law calls on lawmakers to hold a mere four public hearings in the state before they can pass a map dictating the borders for the Illinois House and Senate districts.
The bill doesn’t mandate that lawmakers share maps of those new districts – which will stand for the next 10 years, until after next Census – before they pass them, nor does it create opportunities for the public to involve themselves directly in the boundary-drawing process.
But as the legislation’s Democratic sponsors explained to us during debates on this measure in the Capitol, there’s nothing to prevent either lawmakers (or the governor) for going above and beyond the disappointing minimums that SB 3976 establishes.
* Related…
* WGN: Gov. Quinn signs redistricting legislation in Chinatown
* Press Release: Governor Quinn Signs Major Redistricting Reforms - New Law Protects Minority Community Voting Rights; Increases Openness and Transparency in Redistricting Process
* VIDEO: Quinn On The Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011
* VIDEO: Voting Rights Act - Alie Kabba
* VIDEO: CW Chan Speaking at Signing of the Voting Rights Act of 2011
- Louis - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 8:53 am:
I just want to this opportunity to thank Springfield for setting up an electoral map that protects the voting rights of minorities.
Thank you Mike Madigan for thinking of us little guys!
- Solomon - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 8:55 am:
Not to sound like a cantankerous conservative… But what is the rationale for “language minority” districts?
- Six Degrees of Separation - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 8:59 am:
/snark on/ I’ve got a great idea. How about ensuring minority representation by having voting districts “compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population” as the state constitution provides, but having, say, three representatives per district, with the voter being able to weight their vote towards a particular candidate…we might have a more diverse legislature that way. Wonder if IL has ever considered such a scheme? /snark off/
- Honest Abe - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:04 am:
It is not always as simple as gerrymandering; some minority groups do not exercise their voting rights; other groups may form large populations in given areas but they have not registered or are ineligible to vote.
I remember in the 1980s when the US District Court ordered special elections in selected Chicago wards because the map adopted by the City Council (supposedly engineered by former Alderman Tom Keane for Mayor Jane Byrne) was discriminatory. The 15th Ward, which had an African American majority, had to be redrawn to raise the majority to over seventy percent of the population before an African American aldermanic candidate could unseat the incumbent alderman. The white ethnic voters always voted as a bloc while the minority candidates split their votes among multiple candidates. Even after the remap, it took a run-off election to depose the former alderman. It made me wonder if a minority group within in a district has their percentage of the population increased to seventy percent, do they cease to be a minority and are they now the majority?
It is crazy sometimes. I can appreciate the need for the Voting Rights Act when it was initial enacted, but fifty years later it is still be cited to redraw legislative districts.
- formerpolitico - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:07 am:
This is all a joke. Madigan will draw the maps purely to enhance and protect his majorities. All else is just for show. And since even new citizens must swear that they know English, what is this “language-minority” stuff???
- Fed up - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:11 am:
It is interesting that we would create a law that ensures a minority would be given such influence by creating these 3 types of districts. Carving up districts to give oversized weight to a group that is a small percentage of the population seems to go beyond the voters rights act. What occured in Chinatown was dems being dems and protecting themselves. I see gerrymandering districts with even more unusual shapes than last remap. It is the blatant attempts by either party to manipulate the democratic process that has led to both voter apathy in some and voter outrage in others. The talk of trying to blunt the influence of the growth of collar counties by streching Chicago districts into the burbs is very disheartening. I guess all that talk of post racial politics was a farce. It will be very telling when Chicago and crook co. Both bleeding population will somehow retain if not gain political influence in the new maps.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:12 am:
Agree with 6. The best way of ensuring minority representation and of breaking the control of the Speaker would be to undo the ain “accomplishment” in Quinn’s career. Fat chance of that.
- Honest Abe - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:15 am:
Very good, Six Degrees of Separation.
Illinois had its unique system of three member General Assembly districts for 112 years. I have yet to see any proof that Pat Quinn’s cutback amendment helped Illinois in any meaningful way unless the intended sole beneficiary was Speaker Madigan.
- mokenavince - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:18 am:
Once again we Balkenize our state so we can have
influence districts. This way can draw a map in a circle to insure certian minority’s are represented. Wake up this is America,deal with it.
- Anon - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:23 am:
Rich,
Is Bobby Schilling still the odd man out in the remap?
- Louis Howe - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 9:23 am:
Creating “Minority Districts” is a prescription for creating unnecessary conflicts. Districts should be compact and reflect the community’s interests, whether ethnic or regional. Minorities should not receive special treatment, but rather, demonstrate their influence through participation in the election process.
- Federal Farmer - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 10:20 am:
“Silverstein’s district is my favorite area of Chicago. You want diversity? Go there. Walk a block and you’re in another country. Walk another block and you’re in another continent. I love it.”
+1 on this. I live in the Jefferson Park/Albany Park area and it is incredibly diverse.
- Wumpus - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 10:26 am:
How about we give counsels of members of select groups become spokespeople for said groups. That way, Blacks can be given selected candidates such as the COnsensus, Carol MoselyBraun.
- D.P. Gumby - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 10:28 am:
Years ago we tried to draft language for “communities of interest” to avoid having towns, etc. split up, but could never come up w/ good definitions. This is narrower, but not sure it does the job.
- Liandro - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 10:52 am:
Any idea when a map will be decided on? I’m sure that’s a hot question with lots of variables, but how long do these things usually take?
- shore - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 10:56 am:
Do we really need a law for this? No. Is it pandering? Yes. Does the Governor have better things to do? Yes.
- "reform" for whom? - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:05 am:
Interesting sub-context here: the immigrants cut loose the “political reformers” when they hosted the bill signing. The “reformers” are complaining about the transparency provisions. Apparently the immigrants decided that they have never seen the “reformers” speak out in favor of citizenship for the 500,000 or so undocumented in Illinois fighting for the basic protection of their families through legal status, and therefore decided to forge forward. “Political reform” and “democracy” is all in the eye of the beholder.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:26 am:
Districts should be geographical and clean shaped. Period. Neighborhoods change. People come and go, move around, assimilate, and most people have political and economic interests which go far beyond their ethnicity and original language. The very idea of influence and community districts sounds bad and looks like pandering. As a society we should encourage the melting pot approach, and not enable even the perception of “segregation” for certain groups.
- Obamarama - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:30 am:
===The very idea of influence and community districts sounds bad===
Take it up with the Voting Rights Act.
===Districts should be geographical and clean shaped. Period.===
The Courts care far less about clean looking districts than they do communities of interest. Check out the 4th Congressional District. Race and ethnicity trump geometry.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:31 am:
===not enable even the perception of “segregation” for certain groups. ===
Um, huh?
- Worth It - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:37 am:
By the time you factor in political influence and laws like this into the equation you end up with maps that violate the compact portion of the constitution. Why is this allowed?
These laws and the federal law only help to minimize minority influence. By packing a group into one district to ensure a minority will be elected you end up minimizing the minorities representation. While the group may end up being represented by someone who is of their ethnicity, the group’s influence is limited to a few districts. African Americans are pushed into a district and they have influence over JJJ, Rush, and Davis (for example), but do you really think if they were spread without gerrymandering that a white or latino congressman who had 20% AA voters would ignore their needs when he or she needs them to get re-elected?
The best way to handle a remap is by enforcing the language of the constitution and drawing compact and contiguous districts. The best representation for the people occurs when our districts are competitive. Competition leads to actual debate on the issues of the community and accountability for the representative. The process as it stands now is set up to ensure that this competitiveness does not occur…disgraceful.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:38 am:
===do you really think if they were spread without gerrymandering that a white or latino congressman who had 20% AA voters would ignore their needs when he or she needs them to get re-elected?===
You might wanna ask that question south of the Mason-Dixon line. Just sayin…
- Obamarama - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:42 am:
===Why is this allowed?===
They don’t violate the Constitution, necessarily, but rather your interpretation of what the word compact means in terms of boundaries. The legal interpretation of the word (the only interpretation that matters) is left to the courts on a case by case basis arising from lawsuits.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 11:50 am:
Not splitting up communities is a good idea, if possible, anywhere.
- ArchPundit - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 2:43 pm:
====The best way to handle a remap is by enforcing the language of the constitution and drawing compact and contiguous districts. The best representation for the people occurs when our districts are competitive. Competition leads to actual debate on the issues of the community and accountability for the representative. The process as it stands now is set up to ensure that this competitiveness does not occur…disgraceful.
Competition and compact/contiguous are often in direct conflict. People with similar interests often live close to one another so you get non-competitive districts in the most compact and contiguous districts.
- Park - Tuesday, Mar 8, 11 @ 7:43 pm:
I have the feeling that a federal voting rights/equal protection case may come out of this decision. Illinois did Rutan, maybe this one too.
- Yellow Dog Democrat - Wednesday, Mar 9, 11 @ 5:23 am:
All of this is over the backdrop of a LONG history of gerrymandering in Illinois to dilute the political power of minorities, particularly African Americans.
Previous comments are correct: in the exburbs, where minorities are dispersed almost randomly, its next to impossible to draw minority-influenced districts. The exception is Aurora, Joliet, and the other urban centers.
But in the suburbs — Fred Crespo won thanks to overwhelming support from the Asian and Latino communities. It takes only modest cartography skills to draw influence districts and coalition districts there.
The law obviously has the greatest impact in Chicago, where the population is so dense, minorities tend to live in tight clusters, and lines are very fungible.
- Bebe - Wednesday, Mar 9, 11 @ 6:22 am:
Rich, actually Chinatown is not just the commercial strip most people know on Wentworth Avenue. The highest concentration of Chinese Americans live in a compact area roughly bounded by State Street on the East, Damen to the West and between 18th and 35th Street to the north and south. This area has between 15% and 88% Asian-American concentration (mostly Chinese American) at the block level. But it’s divided into 4 state rep districts (2nd, 5th, 6th, and 9th). So it’s not true that the northside has higher concentration of Asian Americans. If the Chinese-American-concentrated area is in one state rep district, it would be much more overwhelmingly Asian than anywhere else in the city. It’s the splitting up of a natural community so other communities can gain politically that the Chinatown residents are objecting to. So the focus is actually anti-gerrymandering, not pro-gerrymandering if you will.