Pritzker signs congressional remap bill
Tuesday, Nov 23, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Press release…
After reviewing the General Assembly’s congressional maps drawn with 2020 U.S. Census data, Governor JB Pritzker signed the new U.S. House district map that reflects Illinois’ diversity and preserves minority representation in Illinois’ delegation in accordance with the federal Voting Rights Act.
“These maps align with the landmark Voting Rights Act and will ensure all communities are equitably represented in our congressional delegation,” said Governor JB Pritzker.
A landmark achievement of the civil rights movement, the Voting Rights Act prohibits practices and procedures that discriminate on the basis of race, color or membership in a protected language minority group. Building on and strengthening that consequential law, the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 ensures redistricting plans are crafted in a way that preserves clusters of minority voters if they are of size or cohesion to exert collective electoral power. The maps signed into law today meet those requirements by creating a second district of significant Latinx representation that reflects the community’s rapid growth on the west side of Chicago.
The district boundaries also account for population changes in the state, particularly in the regions that saw the most population loss as recorded by 2020 U.S. Census.
The Illinois Congressional Redistricting Act of 2021 (HB 1291) takes effect immediately.
There’d been some weird grumbling about him not signing it right away, but I just kept telling people to be patient.
…Adding… Change Illinois…
Never before have Illinoisans seen such a brazen show of how corrosive politician-led redistricting can be for voters and communities across the state. For the third time, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a map, mired in a process lacking transparency, putting partisan self-interests above the needs of people in communities across the state.
The result is a congressional map of predetermined winners and losers in nearly all seventeen districts. The map is undemocratic and leaves all voters without choices, undermining the very elections that are supposed to allow voters to hold officials accountable.
The culmination of the legislative and congressional remapping further exemplifies the need for redistricting to be placed in the hands of independent commissioners who have no political or personal incentives to pervert redistricting as a tool to silence people and secure power for the few. We must forge a better path forward that empowers people in communities with fair elections so they can define their futures.
Current and future generations of Illinoisans deserve fair maps.
- NIU Grad - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 2:37 pm:
“There’d been some weird grumbling about him not signing it right away”
Had to wait for the perfect time: A Tuesday during a holiday week.
- John Lopez - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 2:50 pm:
With HB 1291 now law, let’s see where challengers to Congressman Adam Kinzinger have switched to run, all Republicans unless otherwise noted:
James Marter -> IL-14
Teresa Pfaff -> IL-17
Geno Young -> IL-01
Jack Lombardi -> IL-14
Marsha Williams (Dem) -> IL-17
Michael Rebresh and Catalina Lauf have made no announcements yet where they will run.
Lauf expected to run in IL-11, where her parents’ home drawn, which will create a primary with Michael Pierce.
Unknown where or if Rebresh will run.
IL-14 has Marter, Lombardi and former talk radio host Michael Koolidge of DeKalb in the Republican primary.
- Sue - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 2:52 pm:
Both parties are totally hypocritical on gerrymandering but for some reason the media only seems to point out egregious action when it is the R’s doing it.
- twowaystreet - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 3:27 pm:
- Sue - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 2:52 pm:
That’s absolutely not true. Google Illinois redistricting and all you will find are articles criticizing the Dems for redistricting.
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 3:30 pm:
Governor Gerrymander strikes again.
- Lucky Pierre - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 3:38 pm:
Don’t stop now!
Plenty of time to break a lot more good government reform campaign promises JB
- Norseman - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 3:49 pm:
twowaystreet, you are so totally correct. What do you expect from a GOP troll? Truth is not a GOP trait. We’ve seen games in states that supposedly adopted some commission mechanism.
Gerrymandering has to fixed on a national basis. Unilateral action by the Dems only serves the interest of the anti-democratic forces attacking our country.
- Rabid - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:09 pm:
” the map is undemocratic” nope it favors democrats
- Original Anon - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:12 pm:
Is MALDEF expected to challenge this map?
- Back to the Future - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:20 pm:
As to Norseman, I respectfully disagree.
Politicians like JB Pritzker are the folks that serve “the interest of anti democratic forces attacking our country”.
I expected more from him based on his campaign promises.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:37 pm:
==the media only seems to point out egregious action when it is the R’s doing it==
Another victim heard from.
- twowaystreet - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:49 pm:
==Gerrymandering has to fixed on a national basis.==
Completely disagree with that conclusion. A national standard for congressional remapping would be preferred but it is not necessary.
- Oswego Willy - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:53 pm:
===but it is not necessary.===
There’s no nobility to following rules the others won’t follow to be Right.
That’s a malpractice… and why Pritzker signed this less than competitive map.
- Amalia - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 4:55 pm:
gotta check the map again. things kept shifting so much.
- Just Me 2 - Tuesday, Nov 23, 21 @ 10:54 pm:
J.B. looked directly into our eyes and told us he would not do this. He lied. I’ll never trust him again.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 24, 21 @ 8:14 am:
===Lauf expected to run===
Lauf, who peddles in advancing conspiracy theories and theorists like the Trump family members… and is shopping for a seat with grifters using Lauf as a conduit to milk donations, would be terrible for Illinois.