Central and southern Illinoisans told lawmakers Monday they’re concerned about transparency and fairness as Democrats aim to redraw legislative and congressional maps in the state.
Democrats invited the public to share their thoughts on redistricting at two dozen hearings statewide, including one Monday evening in East St. Louis.
Stanley Franklin, president of the NAACP’s East St. Louis chapter, said he is concerned about racial gerrymandering suppressing Black voters. He asked for a comment period before lawmakers vote on a map so the public could have a chance to weigh in.
Democrats, who control redistricting, must approve a map by June 30 per the state constitution. But 2020 was not a traditional year, and the COVID-19 pandemic will delay United States Census Bureau data by months. Complete data won’t be available until the end of August at the earliest.
It means that the maps could be drawn without the benefit of a full census. […]
[Republican] legislation (SB1325) would empower the Illinois Supreme Court to appoint a 16-member commission composed of seven Democrats, seven Republicans and two independents.
During the hearing Monday night, Sen. Christopher Belt (D-Belleville) reminded lawmakers that the Illinois constitution doesn’t require census data for redistricting. The state won’t receive that critical data until the middle of August or early September. He stressed the General Assembly must have new maps completed by June 30.
“This means we cannot put off this process until census data is released as some have argued we should,” Belt explained. “If the General Assembly misses the June 30 deadline, mapmaking will be turned over to a commission of political insiders. The public would be cut out of the process entirely. This is not an independent commission as some have wrongly claimed. It is a commission of political appointees named by legislative leaders.”
Belt argued moving to that process is a “disservice” to the people of Illinois. Sen. Rachelle Crowe (D-Glen Carbon) later called the Republican proposal a false choice.
“Republicans know that this bill is nothing but a smokescreen. A bill cannot trump the constitution. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about that. A bill cannot trump the constitution,” Crowe said. “We have a June 30 deadline to draw a map. If we fail to meet that deadline, we – Democrats and Republicans – have failed.”
* This all reminded me of a 2001 quip by the late Sen. Vince Demuzio (D-Carlinville) highlighted by John Oliver’s show a few years ago. The Democrats had won the lottery which gave them the right to draw the new map after the Senate spent 10 years under Republican rule. So, Vince was naturally a bit exhuberant at the time…
21 Comments
- very old soil - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 4:05 am:
When your party devolves into a bunch of crazies howling about fantastical pedophiles around every corner, and a stolen election, the adults in the room need to do their jobs, and get the remap done. If you don’t like it, start winning elections. Hint: You’ll need to actually have policies that are popular with the citizens of Illinois to do that.
I think we have a pretty good count through other means:
- if you are alive and living in this area, please show us you exist by visiting any pharmacy or grocery store and get a treatment that will allow you to continue living.
Central and southern Illinoisans told lawmakers =Monday they’re concerned about transparency and fairness as Democrats aim to redraw legislative and congressional maps in the state.=
The is precious. I have a few concerns that I would like southern and central Illinoisans to consider.
Hard to believe Vince would pass away about 3 years after his redistricting quip.
I may be wrong, but IMO Rod purposely and inexplicably showing up late to Vince’s funeral was the beginning of the end of Macoupin, Montgomery, Christian, and other areas in much of the old Demuzio district being a strong Democratic stronghold in elections.
Meh. The Republicans should just relax. IL Democrats are terrible at drawing maps that they think will benefit them; see Rodney Davis. And then look in the mirror, because it isn’t the map’s fault they are in the super minority.
I would really like to see the GOP introduce their preferred proposal map and I am serious about that.
The GOP historically has crafted some very non-competitive maps in otherwise competitive states and one of the legacies of the Obama Presidency is how badly state legislatures and governors mansions fared in 2010 which resulted in the GOP handling a lot of apportionment factors.
Right now the GOP are lobby criticisms without having to produce a product that they say is fair.
Let’s see their fair map. Let’s see what they come up with to oppress non-white voters in Illinois.
Hope this map is fair. And also expect that if it’s not and we have snake and sea creature districts running through our state map, then business leaders, athletes and sports leagues will step up denounce the unfairness of the maps and pull their business from the State. That’s how it works, right?
The Dave’s Redistricting App website has some interesting maps that users (mostly wonks and blogger-types that create these rather than insiders) have created for Illinois. Some on there are more gerrymandered than what any politician on either side of the aisle could dream of.
I think you really missed what’s going on with the changes to election law in Georgia. That’s not about changing legislative districts, it’s about specifically enacting laws to make it more difficult for African Americans to specifically vote. In a state went to war in order to protect the idea that white people could own African Americans and then spent more than a century with codified discrimination to make it difficult or impossible for black people to vote who was forced to make some modest changes for about 50 years before the United States Supreme Court ruled in such a fashion that allowed Georgia and other historically very racist governments to almost immediately enact laws to make it more difficult for historically oppressed people in the United States to cast ballots.
The fact that you seem to sincerely believe that’s what’s going in with Georgia is similar as the possibility that US House Districts in Illinois and Illinois legislative districts might be weighted to be a little less competitive for the current state of the Republican party is absurd to the point where I am worried that you may be suffering from an diagnosed traumatic brain injury.
I believe it is important to draft legislative districts in a fashion that allows for representation of the people that live there — but someone is always going to think it’s unfair no matter how well done the map is because someone is always going to be in the minority under our current winner take all/first past the post election system.
The reason why the Illinois GOP is in the super minority in both houses and currently incapable of holding a state wide office is because the Illinois GOP jumped off the cliff after their friends and because a party that is incapable of delivering the appearance of being capable of managing a functioning government, and Illinois Literally tried that experiment from 2015 to 2019 and the administration failed on multiple fronts, drove up billions of dollars in unpaid bills, and did damage to our institutions that will take a generation to fix if we’re ever able to address them.
Maps aren’t why the Illinois GOP is in the super minority but pretending like blatantly racist law and policies aren’t racist is.
=== And also expect that if it’s not and we have snake and sea creature districts running through our state map,===
Explain the Voters Rights Act.
===then business leaders, athletes and sports leagues will step up denounce the unfairness of the maps and pull their business from the State. That’s how it works, right?===
If it meets the criteria of the Voters Rights Act your fallacy and end result makes no sense.
Actually it is doubtful that sources other than the decennial census could legally be used. The plain and ordinary meaning of words is applied by the courts, and the meaning of the language is clear, because the decennial census is done Federally. So even if a commission has to set the boundaries, rather than the legislature, the Census data is still legally needed to draw them. Any map drawn up before the Census data is available will be challengeable. Nor does any case I can find hold that the commission may use another data source other than the Census data, or is excused from using the Census data. Looks like its heading to the courts no matter what happens.
- very old soil - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 4:05 am:
Rich
The link takes you to a show on bankruptcy. This is the one on gerrymanadering.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-4diimaodq
Illinois starts at about 10:45
- PublicServant - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 7:03 am:
When your party devolves into a bunch of crazies howling about fantastical pedophiles around every corner, and a stolen election, the adults in the room need to do their jobs, and get the remap done. If you don’t like it, start winning elections. Hint: You’ll need to actually have policies that are popular with the citizens of Illinois to do that.
- Ok - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 7:59 am:
I think we have a pretty good count through other means:
- if you are alive and living in this area, please show us you exist by visiting any pharmacy or grocery store and get a treatment that will allow you to continue living.
- Perrid - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 8:15 am:
I get you’re joking OK, but people are driving pretty long distances to get the vaccine. Not particularly helpful for map drawing.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 8:15 am:
Central and southern Illinoisans told lawmakers =Monday they’re concerned about transparency and fairness as Democrats aim to redraw legislative and congressional maps in the state.=
The is precious. I have a few concerns that I would like southern and central Illinoisans to consider.
@Ok- good stuff there.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 8:28 am:
Is there a specific date when states will be told how many congressional seats they will each get?
- blue line - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 8:59 am:
Vince was a gem!
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 9:02 am:
Hearing from Uncle Vince is a great way to start the day.
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 9:14 am:
Hard to believe Vince would pass away about 3 years after his redistricting quip.
I may be wrong, but IMO Rod purposely and inexplicably showing up late to Vince’s funeral was the beginning of the end of Macoupin, Montgomery, Christian, and other areas in much of the old Demuzio district being a strong Democratic stronghold in elections.
- Responsa - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 9:29 am:
The clip of Vince is the epitome of what average people think most politicians are like.
Also, there’s that word “fair” again. lol.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 9:35 am:
Rodney Dangerfield slipping Brian Doyle-Murray cash-
“Here. Keep it fair, keep it fair.”
- wow... - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 9:47 am:
Well, if respected legal expert Christopher Belt says it’s legal, that’s enough for me…
- Ducky LaMoore - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 9:52 am:
Meh. The Republicans should just relax. IL Democrats are terrible at drawing maps that they think will benefit them; see Rodney Davis. And then look in the mirror, because it isn’t the map’s fault they are in the super minority.
- Norseman - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 10:25 am:
Good stuff JS Mill @ 8:15 am
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 11:20 am:
I would really like to see the GOP introduce their preferred proposal map and I am serious about that.
The GOP historically has crafted some very non-competitive maps in otherwise competitive states and one of the legacies of the Obama Presidency is how badly state legislatures and governors mansions fared in 2010 which resulted in the GOP handling a lot of apportionment factors.
Right now the GOP are lobby criticisms without having to produce a product that they say is fair.
Let’s see their fair map. Let’s see what they come up with to oppress non-white voters in Illinois.
- DuPage Moderate - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 11:51 am:
Hope this map is fair. And also expect that if it’s not and we have snake and sea creature districts running through our state map, then business leaders, athletes and sports leagues will step up denounce the unfairness of the maps and pull their business from the State. That’s how it works, right?
- EssentialStateEmployeeFromChatham - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 12:10 pm:
The Dave’s Redistricting App website has some interesting maps that users (mostly wonks and blogger-types that create these rather than insiders) have created for Illinois. Some on there are more gerrymandered than what any politician on either side of the aisle could dream of.
https://davesredistricting.org/maps#home
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 12:18 pm:
=== will step up denounce the unfairness===
I think you really missed what’s going on with the changes to election law in Georgia. That’s not about changing legislative districts, it’s about specifically enacting laws to make it more difficult for African Americans to specifically vote. In a state went to war in order to protect the idea that white people could own African Americans and then spent more than a century with codified discrimination to make it difficult or impossible for black people to vote who was forced to make some modest changes for about 50 years before the United States Supreme Court ruled in such a fashion that allowed Georgia and other historically very racist governments to almost immediately enact laws to make it more difficult for historically oppressed people in the United States to cast ballots.
The fact that you seem to sincerely believe that’s what’s going in with Georgia is similar as the possibility that US House Districts in Illinois and Illinois legislative districts might be weighted to be a little less competitive for the current state of the Republican party is absurd to the point where I am worried that you may be suffering from an diagnosed traumatic brain injury.
I believe it is important to draft legislative districts in a fashion that allows for representation of the people that live there — but someone is always going to think it’s unfair no matter how well done the map is because someone is always going to be in the minority under our current winner take all/first past the post election system.
The reason why the Illinois GOP is in the super minority in both houses and currently incapable of holding a state wide office is because the Illinois GOP jumped off the cliff after their friends and because a party that is incapable of delivering the appearance of being capable of managing a functioning government, and Illinois Literally tried that experiment from 2015 to 2019 and the administration failed on multiple fronts, drove up billions of dollars in unpaid bills, and did damage to our institutions that will take a generation to fix if we’re ever able to address them.
Maps aren’t why the Illinois GOP is in the super minority but pretending like blatantly racist law and policies aren’t racist is.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 12:21 pm:
=== And also expect that if it’s not and we have snake and sea creature districts running through our state map,===
Explain the Voters Rights Act.
===then business leaders, athletes and sports leagues will step up denounce the unfairness of the maps and pull their business from the State. That’s how it works, right?===
If it meets the criteria of the Voters Rights Act your fallacy and end result makes no sense.
- thisjustinagain - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 1:48 pm:
Actually it is doubtful that sources other than the decennial census could legally be used. The plain and ordinary meaning of words is applied by the courts, and the meaning of the language is clear, because the decennial census is done Federally. So even if a commission has to set the boundaries, rather than the legislature, the Census data is still legally needed to draw them. Any map drawn up before the Census data is available will be challengeable. Nor does any case I can find hold that the commission may use another data source other than the Census data, or is excused from using the Census data. Looks like its heading to the courts no matter what happens.
- low level - Wednesday, Apr 21, 21 @ 3:20 pm:
100% correct. Vince was the best and hit it right on with this comment.