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MALDEF files suit over remap

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* Sara Burnett a the AP…

Illinois Democrats used inadequate data and an opaque process to draw new legislative districts, a Latino civil rights organization argued in the latest lawsuit seeking to block the maps from being used for statehouse elections over the next decade.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sued top Democrats and state election officials late Thursday on behalf of five Latino registered voters from Illinois, saying the new maps are “malapportioned,” or not drawn to ensure equal representation of all populations. That could result in Latinos and other minority groups not being equitably represented in the Illinois General Assembly, according to the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. […]

Pritzker and other Democrats who control Illinois state government dismissed the GOP lawsuit as partisan politics and said the maps are fair because they “ensure representation for diverse communities.” But the challenge from MALDEF expands the source of objections to the very groups whose voting rights Democrats say they are protecting.

“The answer is we don’t know,” said Thomas Saenz, MALDEF president and general counsel. “We don’t know because of a lack of data and because of using wrong data.”

Click here to read the suit.

posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 1:18 pm

Comments

If MALDEF is accurate that Latinos may be underrepresented in the Democratic maps, then all the Latino legislators who voted for the maps voted to shortchange their own group. Seems unlikely to me.

Comment by anon2 Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 1:43 pm
Illinois Democrats used inadequate data? What facts is your statement based on?
As Rich would say, “Show your work.”

Comment by Mama Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 1:47 pm
=== “We don’t know because of a lack of data and because of using wrong data.”===

That’s some twisted logic;

There’s a lack of data AND using the wrong data?

Then there’s the Federal court angle, why not go to state court?

And I’m not even saying they’re wrong…

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 1:56 pm
Why not go to State Court….seriously…

Comment by Mad Hatter Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:00 pm
A corrupt court argument is lazy

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:19 pm
I bet they’ll get wonderful representation if the General Assembly loses, the deadline passes, and the Republicans win the coin flip.

Comment by Watcher of the Skies Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:19 pm
== Why not go to State Court….seriously==

Well their claims are strictly based on Federal law, including both 14th Amendment and 1983, so it seems reasonable to begin in the Court system it’s likely to end up in either way.

Comment by fs Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:19 pm
===Federal law, including both 14th Amendment and 1983, so it seems reasonable===

Did any Latino legislators vote against the map in either chamber?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:23 pm
== Did any Latino legislators vote against the map in either chamber?==

What color shirt is your neighbor wearing today? Which is question equally as relevant as yours is as to why the case was filed in State or Federal court.

Comment by fs Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:26 pm
Interesting, doesn’t know the data but is suing anyway. I can see it now. The court asks for evidence of discrimination and they respond we don’t have any. We just don’t like the source.

Hopefully they’re better prepared than it appears or they’ll get laughed out of court.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:29 pm
=== Which is question equally as relevant as yours is as to why the case was filed in State or Federal court.===

You’d think a Latino legislator would’ve voted against a map seen by MALDEF as bad.

I find the argument to the federal versus state court relevant to the simplicity of the rules to draw maps by the state constitution.

With a lack of Latino legislators seeming against the map, is it being said the legislators who voted fir these maps don’t see the issues of this lawsuit?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:34 pm
Federal voting rights laws and case decisions make the federal venue more understandable in this case.

Comment by Norseman Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:34 pm
MALDEF didn’t love the maps 10 years ago, but Madigan did enough to prevent a lawsuit from them. Just saying

Comment by West side Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:37 pm
==With a lack of Latino legislators seeming against the map==

==don’t see the issues==

Packing is a helluva drug

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:40 pm
What a State law allows is pretty much irrelevant if that State allowance violates Federal law, which is what they’re claiming and why it makes sense to bring it in Federal Court. It would likely end up there on appeal anyway.

Comment by fs Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:41 pm
=== It would likely end up there on appeal anyway.===

So you think they’d lose?

Comment by Oswego Willy Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 2:43 pm
If they show up to court with no data, they better be very careful. You don’t want to be dismissed with prejudice.

Comment by Ducky LaMoore Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 3:07 pm
What were the outcomes of past MALDEF litigation on this issue?

This piece from 2013 notes that MALDEF filed suit against the maps 5 times since the 1980s.

https://www.nprillinois.org/statehouse/2013-02-01/a-dilution-of-power-advocates-say-revision-of-district-map-failed-to-represent-latino-population

Comment by hisgirlfriday Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 3:10 pm
How many Latino legislators voted against the new map?

Comment by Grace Friday, Jun 11, 21 @ 3:16 pm
I appreciate MALDEF and all that they have done up until now with the census and redistricting, but these are the cards we’ve been dealt given Trump, the pandemic, etc.+ the conservative supermajority in SCOTUS already ruled in 2019 that federal courts don’t have a role in deciding gerrymandering claims.

Comment by The Failing New York Times Monday, Jun 14, 21 @ 8:23 am