Dupage Policy Journal

A federal court has thrown out an initial new state legislative district map that was popular among state Democratic leaders.

The Illinois General Assembly approved a state legislative redistricting plan in May prior to the release of the 2020 U.S. Census in August.

A three-judge panel of U.S. District Court judges from the Chicago-based Northern District of Illinois said that the state agency “elected not to wait, and instead relied  primarily on data from the American Community Survey (ACS), a  population estimate previously published by the Census Bureau, to  determine the boundaries of Illinois legislative districts.”

According to the court, two plaintiffs filed lawsuits on the basis that “the ACS data resulted in the drawing of constitutionally-flawed legislative district boundaries” and found the move a violation of the 14th amendment.  

The court has now set Nov. 8 date for the platinfiffs' proposals for the modification of the September Redistricting Plan, along with information on how it corrects the redistricting approved in May with the Illinois State Board of Elections' deadline to respond by Nov. 18, and a status hearing is set for Nov. 5.

Sen. Dan McConchie (R- Hawthorn Woods) and Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) filed one of the two lawsuits, along with other state Republicans.

In September, McConchie tweeted a response to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signing the second round of Illinois’ politician-drawn legislative maps.

“Rarely, do politicians get the chance to break a campaign promise twice,” he wrote. “I am deeply disappointed that Gov. Pritzker has turned his back on the many minority organizations that have asked him to protect their voting rights outlined in the constitution and Voting Rights Act by vetoing this gerrymandered map. The governor has now twice chosen to actively betray the people  he was elected to protect. This choice again proves he is more concerned with protecting the political elite than the people of Illinois.”

Durkin also issued a statement that read: “Governor Pritzker’s signing of the legislative maps sends a clear picture of the severity of his ‘retrograde amnesia’ and efforts to deceive Illinois citizens. The Governor now joins the multitude of Democratic legislators who lied to voters by campaigning for and promising “fair maps.” Once again, Governor Pritzker has proven that he governs only for the Democratic political insiders and not for the people of Illinois.”