Dems Likely to Pass Third or Fourth Public Version of Redistricting Plan Tuesday
The latest proposed version of Democrat-drawn legislative maps draws Crystal Lake in McHenry County into four different districts.
House and Senate Democrats released a new version of legislative maps Monday after census data showed numerous districts had an unacceptable amount of population disparity.
The change is likely due to stem the tide of a lawsuit from Republicans and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) to invalidate the plan. Democrats passed their second version of a redistricting plan in May before census data was released.
Democrats held multiple hearings with limited public input over the weekend all before the latest version of the maps were released.
At a hearing Monday evening, just a few hours after the third plan was released, Republicans and advocacy groups complained about the way Democrats came about the latest version of a redistricting plan.
“There are simply no words to describe the sham for which this process is,” said Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington, the top Republican on the Senate Redistricting committee. “The most shameful part about it is that many of my good friends who sit across the aisle know it. There’s not a person involved in this process who doesn’t see it for what it is.”
Ami Ghandi, an attorney for Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights called the Democrats’ actions “rushed” and “secretive.”
“Our organizations are extremely concerned about the rights of Black voters and voters of color in the redrawing of these district maps,” Ghandi said. “We urge the legislature to slow down, allow time for community input, and address serious civil rights and voting rights concerns with the proposed maps.”
Democrats defended the changes to the boundaries.
“The changes proposed for the legislative boundaries better reflect the data we recently received from the U.S. Census and ensure communities are represented by the people of their choice, said Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), who chairs the House Redistricting Committee. “These changes reflect input gathered at public hearings across the state and I’m incredibly grateful to every person who participated to make sure their voices were heard.”
Another hearing is scheduled for 10am this morning ahead of a noon session time and Hernandez hinted there may be additional changes to the map before then.