* Press release…

After reviewing the General Assembly’s revised legislative maps drawn with 2020 U.S. Census data, Governor JB Pritzker signed the new House and Senate district maps that reflect Illinois’ diversity and preserve minority representation in Illinois’ government in accordance with the federal Voting Rights Act.

“These legislative maps align with the landmark Voting Rights Act and will help ensure Illinois’ diversity is reflected in the halls of government,” 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 to adequately preserve minority representation and reflect the diversity of our state.

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. In addition, the General Assembly held more than 50 public hearings statewide.

Detailed summaries of each individual House and Senate district, including communities of interest, geographic descriptions, and demographic data were adopted by both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate and are contained in House Resolution 433 and Senate Resolution 3 respectively.

The General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2021 (SB 927) takes effect immediately.

* The Question: Your thoughts on this bill action?

* Related…

* Pritzker’s silence on revised maps ‘deafening,’ state Senator says: “What’s the delay,” said state Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington. “I don’t think many people even realize that he hasn’t signed these maps. They thought it was a foregone conclusion and yet we haven’t seen anything.”

*** UPDATE *** To the react…

Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) released the following statement on Governor Pritzker’s second signing of partisan maps:

“Governor Pritzker’s signing of the legislative maps sends a clear picture of the severity of his ‘retrograde amnesia’ and efforts to deceive Illinois citizens. The Governor now joins the multitude of Democratic legislators who lied to voters by campaigning for and promising “fair maps”. Once again, Governor Pritzker has proven that he governs only for the Democratic political insiders and not for the people of Illinois.”

* McConchie…

“Rarely do politicians get the chance to break a campaign promise twice,” said Illinois Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods). “I am deeply disappointed that Gov. Pritzker has turned his back on the many minority organizations that have asked him to protect their voting rights outlined in the constitution and Voting Rights Act by vetoing this gerrymandered map. The governor has now twice chosen to actively betray the people he said he was elected to protect. This choice again proves he is more concerned with protecting the political elite than the people of Illinois.”

* Change IL…

Gov. J.B. Pritzker Friday fueled his litany of broken vows to the people of Illinois by signing into law maps that do not reflect the rich diversity of Illinois, but instead steal representation from Latino, Black and other Illinoisans who have repeatedly pleaded for equitable representation.

For the second time this year, Pritzker joined supermajority lawmakers in ignoring and disrespecting the input of constituents.

Many major groups agree the new maps reduce the numbers of majority Black voting age population districts and majority Latino voting age population districts. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s lawyers have said they believe the state representative and senate maps dilute Latino voting power. The Latino Policy Forum asked Pritzker to veto the maps for the same reason. Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting also said the maps do not create enough Black majority voting age districts. Valerie Leonard, who leads the group, said, “In fact, every redistricting plan the legislature has come up with after 2011 has done progressively more harm to Black voters.” The Decalogue Society of Lawyers noted Jewish communities on Chicago’s north side and suburbs were split up.

Despite all of this, and despite repeated claims that he wanted maps that accurately reflect the state’s rich diversity, Pritzker chose party fealty over the people of Illinois. He again broke his pledge to honor our diversity. This, after previously violating his repeated promises to push for and support independent redistricting and to veto partisan maps.

The actions of supermajority lawmakers are utterly undemocratic. CHANGE Illinois and its partners remain deeply concerned about the maps’ negative effects on the voting power of communities of color guaranteed by the federal Voting Rights Act. We are compelled to redouble our battle for transparent, independent redistricting that honors the will of the people of Illinois.

* Paul Schimpf…

By signing the Democrats’ new gerrymandered legislative map this afternoon, JB Pritzker once again demonstrates that all his promises have expiration dates. In 2018, then-candidate Pritzker supported legislative maps drawn by an independent commission. By his actions today, JB Pritzker shows once again that he is undeserving of the voters’ trust to lead our state.