Democrats advance their redistricting plan

Mike Riopell
Southern Illinoisan
April 28, 2010

SPRINGFIELD - Illinois Democrats Tuesday set up what could be a final debate this year on how state lawmakers should draw the boundaries of the districts they represent.

After four hours of testimony before a House committee, Democrats advanced their plan to the House floor and rejected a competing Republican proposal.

Democrats might have a tough time going any further, though. They need the support of 71 members in the House, but there are only 70 Democrats to 48 Republicans in the chamber.

Every 10 years, lawmakers redraw legislative district boundaries based on new census information. That process is set to begin next year.

In past years, when the two parties have disagreed over the boundaries, a random drawing has been used to determine who gets to draw the borders.

The result has long-term implications about how easy or difficult it is for each party to get its candidates elected.

Democrats want to get rid of the random provision, instead eventually giving the Supreme Court authority should the parties become deadlocked.

Republicans and the League of Women Voters are pushing their own plan, which was defeated by the House panel by a 7-9 vote Tuesday. The League and Republicans say lawmakers shouldn’t get the first chance at drawing the map like they would get under the Democrats’ plan.

"I think the members of the General Assembly have a conflict of interest on this issue,« said League of Women Voters Executive Director Jan Czarnik.

Democrats shot back, though. Their plan was approved 10-7 and moves to the House floor. They criticized the GOP plan because it allows legislative leaders to appoint members to a commission, perhaps giving them control over the process, they argue.

"That proposal doesn’t take lawmakers out of the equation,« said House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie of Chicago. "It takes most lawmakers out of the equation.«

If either plan was approved by lawmakers, it would still have to be approved by voters in November before becoming law.

Republicans and the League are also trying to get their amendment on the November ballot by collecting signatures from registered voters. As of last week, the effort was short of their goal.

The Democratic plan is Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 121.