Gerrymander

 


The Solution

Senate Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 104 (SJR-CA 104) and House Joint Resolution 56 (HJR-CA 56) incorporate reforms developed by and independently advanced by a broad non-partisan coalition of reform groups. The League of Women Voters of Illinois is the lead partner in that coalition.

The language of SJR-CA 104 and HJR-CA 56 reflect many of the recommendations of the Illinois Reform Commission, which was created in the wake of Rod Blagojevich's impeachment and chaired by former prosecutor Patrick Collins.

The proposed reforms contain extensive provisions for public input and review. Public hearings must be held in at least five distinct geographic regions of the state. At least three of the hearings have to be conducted after census data has been received.

Within days of receiving census data, the data, along with redistricting software, must be made available to the public. Members of the public will have the right to submit plans.

The original Reform Commission plan was previously introduced last year as SJR-CA 69. The new amendments build off of the Reform Commission's groundbreaking work.

The amendments are identical and focus on several key changes identified by reform groups as critical to fixing the redistricting process: creating a special independent "Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission;" Protecting minority rights; assuring that maps do not give an unfair advantage to any political party or individual candidate; establishing a clear and fair path for approval of proposals and assuring a logical process for breaking a tie, in the event that there is no agreement on a map.

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Redistricting Commission

Redistricting Commission – Establish a Temporary Redistricting Advisory Commission (TRAC) on the second Tuesday in February following each 10-year census. It will be a nine-member commission with the majority and minority leaders of the House and Senate selecting eight of the commission members.

The ninth commission member would be chosen by a majority of the other members of the TRAC by the second Tuesday in March. That ninth member will serve as chair of the of the redistricting advisory committee.

Members of the redistricting advisory commission would, for the next decade, be prohibited from being a candidate for the General Assembly or being appointed to any position which requires the approval of the Illinois Senate.

Banned from serving on the redistricting advsory commission are: any registered lobbyist in Illinois; any employeee or contractor of the state; any elected official or a candidate for any governmental or political party; or any immediate family member of any of the above. The prohibition applies for four years preceeding appointment and throughout the term of the appointment.

Minority Rights, Non-Partisanship, other Criteria

Minority Rights Protected – The first criteria that any map must meet is that the map complies with all federal laws and cannot deny or abridge the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in the political process or diminish their ability to elect representatives of their choice.

Once that criteria is met, the maps must meet five other criteria in order of priority: districts shall be contiguous; districts shall be substantially equal in population; districts shall be compact; district boundaries, to the extent practical, must follow visible geographic features and municipal boundaries; and the plan cannot be drawn to favor or discriminate against any political party or group

No Partisan Political Information – Party registration and voting history data can not be used, except as needed to comply with the protection of minority rights and to assure that the plan does not discriminate against any political party or group.

Cannot Protect Incumbents – Incumbency cannot be considered in the mapping process, except as needed to comply with the protection of minority rights and to assure that the plan does not discriminate against any political party or group;

Approval Process

The advisory commission must hold at least five public hearings in five distinct geographic regions of the state. At least three of the hearings have to be conducted after census data has been received.

Within three days of receiving census data, the commission must make the data, along with redistricting software, available to the public. Members of the public will have the right to submit plans for consideration by the commission.

By the third Monday in May, the commission must approve two plans by a majority vote – a plan to redistrict Illinois House seats and a plan to redistrict Illinois Senate seats. Legislative seats would be "de-nested" – that is, a Senate and House district boundaries could be different and House districts need not be entirely within a single Senate district.

Plans must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the members elected to the relevant chamber – for example, the Senate must approve the Senate map and the House must approve the House map.

If the first plan does not win approval in the General Assembly by the first Monday in June, the redistricting commission must offer an alternative plan by the third Monday in June. The appropriate legislative chamber will have until the first Monday in July to approve or reject the alternative plan.

Tie-Breaker

If a chamber of the General Assembly doesn't approve a plan by the first Monday in July, then the redistricting commission will have an opportunity to pick between the two previous plans.

If at any time, the redistricting commission fails to meet its deadlines, two Supreme Court justices (the Chief Justice of the Court and another Justice selected by the members of the court, who is not of the same political party as the Chief Justice) shall jointly appoint a Special Master to draw a new map.

The map drawn by the Special Master must meet all of the criteria set forth and must take into consideration all other redistricting plans delivered by or submitted to the redistricting commission, the Senate and the House, as applicable.

The Special Master must submit a map by Sept. 30.

In drawing the map, the Special Master must conduct at least five public hearings around the state before any plan is proposed and hold an additional three public hearings around the state after developing a proposed plan. If not already done so by the commission, the Special Master must also make all census data and redistricting software available to the public.

All documents submitted or utilized by the Special Master shall be made public.

The Special Master must meet the same qualifications as a member of the redistricting commission and is inelgible to be elected to the General Assembly or appointed to any office that is subject to Senate confirmation for 10 years after serving as Special Master.