SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Senate will not vote on a plan this week to amend the Illinois constitution with new redistricting language.

House Democrats passed a resolution last week to change how legislative districts are drawn in favor of Democrats. House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch (D-Hillside) said districts should be drawn substantially equal in population, ensure citizens have equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect people on account of race.

"Some states will quickly undertake new gerrymandering schemes aimed at stripping away Black, Latino and other minority representation," Welch said. "Here in Illinois, we refuse to go back."

However, Senate President Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) announced Wednesday that legal experts need to review the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that drastically changes the federal Voting Rights Act. Harmon explained his caucus will dissect the SCOTUS decision, find a path forward and continue to protect the rights of all Illinoisans.

"I would ask for patience and time for our state's top legal experts to work through this," Harmon said. "The last thing we want is to act in haste and risk unintended consequences down the road. Too much is at stake for too many."

Harmon expects to revisit the issue in a future legislative session. 

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