Illinois Valley Times

As Illinois politicians prepare to redraw the legislative maps that determine how the state’s voters are represented, Republicans have introduced legislation to put the process in an independent commission's hands.

The People's Independent Maps Act removes politicians from the redistricting process that Republicans say will lead to fairer maps that represent the will of the communities. 

"We have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to redraw the legislative and congressional districts here in Illinois,” Rep. Jackie Haas (R-Kankakee) said in an April 5 Facebook post. “Historically, this has been an extremely partisan process – and it's even more complicated this time around because federal census data has been delayed.”

The People’s Independent Maps Act, Senate Bill 1325, would direct the state Supreme Court to appoint 16 members to a maps commission required to reflect the ethnic, gender and racial demographics of the state. It would also require even splits of party affiliation along with independents. 

Under the proposed law, each of the state's leading parties during the previous election for governor would have seven members, with the remaining two commissioners appointed from among independents. 

As part of removing the commission as far as possible from politicians' hands, the members would also be required not to have recently served in any elected or appointed state, federal or local government position, with the same being applied to any immediate family members. Lobbyists are also banned from being commissioners. 

If passed, the act would empower the Supreme Court to make appointments to the commission within 30 days, meaning the current maps process would be moved from the hands of state-level politicians to the commission in time for the current redistricting.