SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — Gov. JB Pritzker signed three new redistricting maps on Friday, which his office said will preserve minority representation and reflect Illinois' diversity.
The maps outline new districts for the General Assembly, Illinois Supreme Court, and Cook County Board of Review following the federal Voting Rights Act.
"Illinois' strength is in our diversity, and these maps help to ensure that communities that have been left out and left behind have fair representation in our government," said Gov. JB Pritzker. "These district boundaries align with both the federal and state Voting Rights Acts, which help to ensure our diverse communities have electoral power and fair representation."
Under the Voting Rights Act, practices and procedures that discriminate based on race, color, or membership in a protected language minority group are prohibited.
The Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 ensures that redistricting plans will be crafted in a way that preserves clusters of minority voters if they are of size or cohesion to exert collective electoral power.
The district boundaries also account for population changes in the state, particularly in the regions that saw the most population loss as recorded by U.S. Census' American Community Survey, the governor's office said. In addition, the General Assembly held more than 50 public hearings statewide.
State Sen. Chapin Rose (R-Mahomet) said the governor showed an "unbelievable contempt for the people of Illinois" by signing the maps into law.
“Today JB Pritzker has joined a long line of Illinois politicians who have broken their promises to the people of Illinois," Rose said. "Unfortunately it’s what we’ve come to expect from Chicago Democrats. In high school civics we are taught the importance of counting every citizen to guarantee that one person equals one vote, so that we are all treated equally. By failing to use the actual census data, the Governor demonstrated an unbelievable contempt for the people of Illinois. He talks a lot about equity, but when it comes to something as fundamental as access to the ballot, he has shown that he could care less.”
Detailed summaries of each House and Senate district, including communities of interest, geographic descriptions, and demographic data, were adopted by both the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate and are contained in House Resolution 359 and Senate Resolution 326 respectively.
The General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2021 (HB 2777), the Judicial Districts Act of 2021 (SB 642), and the Cook County Board of Review Redistricting Act of 2021 (SB 2661) take effect immediately.
