Reforming Illinois' Gerrymandering Practices: New Efforts to Redraw Legislative Maps

Strategic Insights -

Former federal officials Bill Daley and Ray LaHood are spearheading a campaign to amend the Illinois Constitution, aiming to put an end to partisan gerrymandering in state legislative districts. This ambitious effort follows a similar initiative in 2016, which was marred by complications and ultimately struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court. Daley and LaHood believe that by simplifying the proposal and adhering to the state's constitutional framework, they can overcome the obstacles of the past and bring about fairer maps.

Key Takeaways:

  • The 2016 "Fair Maps" initiative, which aimed to establish an 11-member commission to redraw legislative maps, was struck down by the Illinois Supreme Court on technical grounds, citing the state's constitution.
  • The court ruled that citizen-initiated amendments must be limited to structural and procedural subjects contained in Article IV of the state constitution, which deals with the legislature.
  • The new proposal, spearheaded by Daley and LaHood, seeks to establish a 12-member Legislative Redistricting Commission, whose members would be appointed by top Democrats and Republicans in each legislative chamber.
  • The commission would be barred from using voters' party registration or voting history data when drawing maps and would be required to create compact, contiguous districts along existing county and municipal lines.
  • The proposal would not change the method of drawing congressional district maps, a power conferred upon state legislatures from the U.S. Constitution.
  • Daley and LaHood believe that fairer maps can lead to a more representative General Assembly, but they are uncertain about the outcome of their proposal.
  • The reform effort is inspired by states like Iowa and California, which have adopted independent mapmaking commissions, resulting in maps that are more reflective of local communities.

Statistics:

  • The Illinois General Assembly consists of 67 Democrats and 53 Republicans in the state House of Representatives, whereas in the state Senate, there are 41 Democrats and 19 Republicans.
  • In recent statewide elections, Democrats have won around 55% of the vote.
  • The new proposal would require 12-member Legislative Redistricting Commission members to be appointed by top Democrats and Republicans in each legislative chamber.
  • 11 of the commission members would be appointed by each chamber's leaders, while 2 members would be non-lawmakers.
  • 5 members of the original commission would be chosen by a panel appointed by the auditor general, while 4 members would be appointed by legislative leaders (2016 initiative).

Sources:

  • Capitol News Illinois
  • Bill Daley and Ray LaHood's interview with Capitol News Illinois for the Capitol Cast podcast
  • CNI's YouTube channel
  • Illinois Supreme Court decision (2016)
  • People's Map's chair, John Hooker's, conviction and sentence
  • The "ComEd Four" case
  • Commonwealth Edison's involvement in the scandal