UPDATED: Democrats to Amend Legislative Maps in Special Session, GOP Asks Court to Throw Out Maps
The Illinois Statehouse in Springfield.
Lawmakers will return to Springfield at the end of the month to make changes to legislative maps passed by Democrats in May.
Both the House and Senate will return August 31st, according to a joint proclamation filed by legislative leaders Friday morning.
In a statement, House Speaker Chris Welch said the maps will change after the U.S. Census Bureau released population data for redistricting earlier this month.
“Following the recent release of 2020 census data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the House will be returning for a one-day special session on August 31 to amend the legislative map enacted in June to incorporate the latest census data,” said Welch. “As we have said since the beginning of this process, we want to make sure every voice is heard and represented. We invite the public to participate at the open hearings we will be holding prior to the return of the legislature.”
Democrats used population estimates to create maps that passed in May against Republican objections.
Senate President Don Harmon says updating the maps will help Democrats meet their goal.
“Our goal has always been to implement a map that is fair and represents the diversity of the population of Illinois,” said Senate President Don Harmon. “With census data now available, we will take any necessary legislative action with that same goal in mind.”
But Republicans say Democrats may not be legally allowed to implement a new map. Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), the top Republican on the House Redistricting Committee, says the law doesn’t allow for a new legislative map to be enacted by lawmakers this late in the process.
“The Democrats knew the maps passed without decennial census data were not valid,” Butler said. “Since we are past the constitutional deadline for the legislature to act on an ‘effective’ map, the bipartisan commission now must be empaneled to carry out the redistricting process.”
It isn’t clear, though, if Republicans will ask a judge to order the formation of a bipartisan redistricting commission.
Democrats say they’ll hold hearings on the updated maps ahead of the August 31 session.
There is no indication if Democrats will take up new congressional maps during the special session or if they will be addressed at a later date.
UPDATE (1:25 P.M.):
Republicans who have already sued to have the courts invalidate the legislative maps have asked the court to throw out the plan immediately.
In a joint release by House GOP Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) and Senate GOP Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods), they say Democrats’ scheduling of a special session to fix the maps is an “admission” the maps are invalid.
“The proclamation for a special session is [an] admission that the Democrats’ enacted map was unconstitutional,” McConchie said. “Instead of ensuring the protection of Illinoisans’ voting rights, Governor Pritzker and his Democratic insiders drafted an unconstitutional map that sought to ensure their absolute power for another decade. With the data on the people’s side, we are confident the court will see through the Democrats’ charade and agree with our motion to void this map.”
If a federal court were to throw out the maps, it could kick the process to an independent commission outlined in the constitution or could draw its own map.
