Illinois Republicans are making another pitch to create an independent redistricting commission as senators have held public hearings on the redistricting process and debated what the best course of action will be in a year with delayed Census data. 

“For too long, the people of Illinois have been deprived of the right of having an independent map where they get to pick their own representatives,” said Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, at a Tuesday press conference.

Illinois’ constitution requires lawmakers to pass new legislative maps by June 30 this year. If the deadline is missed, a bipartisan group is chosen to hash out the debate. To break the tie in this eight-person group, a Democrat or Republican lawmaker would have their name pulled out of a Lincoln stovepipe hat, granting the winning party an opportunity to draw the new legislative maps. 

This year’s map drawing is also complicated by incomplete Census data, which normally arrives in time for lawmakers to use it to draw the maps. This year, the Census data isn’t expected until August. Some lawmakers have argued they should use data from the American Community Survey to meet the June deadline. Republicans have argued against it and say an independent commission can avoid controversies over accurate data. 

Senate Bill 1325, known as the People’s Independent Maps Act, would hand the map-making process over to a nonpartisan group. The state Supreme Court would choose the members of the commission from different areas of the state, taking into account partisan affiliation to make the group independent. Lawmakers would not be involved in the process. 

“We have a wonderful opportunity in front of us to reimagine how we draw maps in Illinois. For far too long, both parties have not been able to draw maps the way people have wanted,” said state Rep. Tim Butler, R-Springfield. 

Earlier: Census delays likely to lead to bitter redistricting fight in Illinois

In 2016, Illinois voters used petitions to get a constitutional amendment for independent redistricting on the ballot. The state Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. 

Republicans believe they have the support of Democrats, including Speaker of the House Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, and Gov. JB Pritzker, who have both voiced their support for a independent or fair maps. 

“We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, and I have supported this effort for years. In the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map,” Pritzker said in a 2018 questionnaire for the Northwest Herald.

“The Governor has been clear he will veto a partisan map. His view is that legislative maps should reflect Illinois’ gender, racial, and geographic diversity, along with preserving the Voting Rights Act decisions that help ensure racial and language minorities are fully represented in the electoral process,” the governor’s office said in a statement. 

“Every year we hear over and over how much (Democrats) support fair maps,” said House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, R-Western Springs, said. “Many of them have been elected on this specific issue. I can’t think of a better way for (Pritzker) to be able to move forward as being this transparent and open-style governor that he ran on.”

State Sen. Jason Barickman, R-Bloomington, said Democrats have supported this measure as recently as last legislative session so they should be able to support it again. Welch co-sponsored a constitutional amendment in 2020 with Butler in a group of 17 bipartisan lawmakers that was nearly identical to today’s Republican proposal.

It’s not clear what Welch plans to do on redistricting. 

Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago, chair of the Senate redistricting committee, and Sen. Elgie Sims, D-Chicago, released a statement to the State Journal-Register in response to the Republican’s proposal: 

“Republicans have demonstrated they are more interested in complaining than participating in a meaningful way. While it is troubling Republicans only want to uphold the constitution when it is convenient to them, Senate Democrats remain committed to fulfilling our constitutional duty to enact a map that is not only fair but also reflects the diversity of the state of Illinois.”

Barickman also said this will be a fairer way to draw the maps and use the more accurate census data. Barickman said the June 30 deadline goes away with an independent commission and will give the state time to use Census data in time for the fall deadline when maps must be completed. 

Butler argued an independent commission will allow communities and neighborhoods to be better represented. He cited his own district as evidence for how partisan maps divide neighborhoods. 

“People who live five blocks away from me, their state representative lives in Decatur. That doesn’t make any sense in a town of 115,000 people, that I live five blocks away from somebody and for very obvious political reasons, that map was drawn to elect a Democrat,” Butler said. 

Butler represents Springfield’s north end and cities to the north such as Lincoln. State Rep. Sue Scherer, D-Decatur, represents areas of downtown and the east side, along with rural areas between Springfield and Decatur, including the city of Decatur. Butler said fair maps keep neighborhoods together and the current maps draw lines through neighborhoods like his. 

The Senate redistricting committee has been holding public hearings around the state where anyone can tell senators how they think the mapping process should be handled. The House will begin similar hearings on Thursday.

Most hearings have been virtual and few members of the public have testified. Republicans and some citizens have said they weren’t given enough notice the hearings were taken place. Opinions among citizens on how to handle redistricting have been different, but many have argued for a fair process that keeps communities that are similar together.