(10 ILCS 91/5)

Sec. 5. Findings and declarations. In enacting this redistricting plan, the General Assembly finds and declares all of the following:

(a) In establishing boundaries for Illinois Legislative and Representative Districts ("Districts"), the following redistricting principles were taken into account:

(1) each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn to be substantially equal in population, so that as nearly as practicable, the total population deviation between Districts is zero;

(2) each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn to be consistent with the United States Constitution;

(3) each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn to be consistent with the federal Voting Rights Act, where applicable;

(4) each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn to be compact and contiguous, as required by the Illinois Constitution;

(5) each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn to be consistent with the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011, where applicable; and

(6) each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn taking into account the partisan composition of the District and of the plan itself.

(b) In addition to the redistricting principles set forth in subsection (a), each of the Districts contained in the General Assembly Redistricting Act of 2011 was drawn to reflect a balance of the following redistricting principles: the preservation of the core or boundaries of the existing Districts; the preservation of communities of interest; respect for county, township, municipal, ward, and other political subdivision boundaries; the maintenance of incumbent-constituent relationships and tracking of population migration; proposals or other input submitted by members of the public and stakeholder groups; public hearing testimony; other incumbent requests; respect for geographic features and natural or logical boundaries; and other redistricting principles recognized by state and federal court decisions.

(c) For purposes of legislative intent, the General Assembly adopts and incorporates herein, as if fully set forth, the provisions of House Resolution 385 of the Ninety-Seventh General Assembly and Senate Resolution 249 of the Ninety-Seventh General Assembly.

(Source: P.A. 97-6, eff. 6-3-11.)