HR0995 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0995 LRB100 21617 MST 38752 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly will establish new State legislative districts and congressional districts following the 2020 United States decennial census of Illinois; and

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a long history of partisanship in the mapmaking process, including the 1964 "Bedsheet Ballot" that was caused by disagreements on the redistricting process; and

WHEREAS, In the 100th General Assembly, seven different redistricting constitutional amendment proposals have been filed by Republicans and Democrats to create an independent redistricting reform process; and

WHEREAS, Independent redistricting reform would produce Illinois House and Senate districts drawn without regard to incumbency or partisanship; and

WHEREAS, Independent redistricting reform would attract more candidates for the General Assembly and more competition for legislative seats, resulting in more choices for voters; and

WHEREAS, Independent redistricting reform would protect the voting rights of racial and ethnic minorities and prohibit drawing maps that dilute or diminish the ability of racial or language minority communities to elect the candidates of their choice; and

WHEREAS, Independent redistricting reform would respect communities with shared interests and avoid breaking through political and geographic boundaries; and

WHEREAS, Independent redistricting reform would allow the public to view and participate in redistricting; and

WHEREAS, Transparent and non-partisan legislative districting is essential to build a more trustworthy, accountable, and healthy democracy for our State and nation; and

WHEREAS, Independent redistricting reform is necessary to eliminate the conflict of interest that allows General Assembly members to pick their voters; and

WHEREAS, Illinoisans deserve legislative elections where issues are debated, candidates listen to their constituents, and voters have choices; and

WHEREAS, Several recent federal cases reviewing redistricting plans enacted in Wisconsin, Maryland, and North Carolina have focused on whether and when it is possible to bring a claim that drawing districts to the advantage of one political party is unconstitutional; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois Supreme Court has kept citizen-led redistricting reform proposals off of the ballots by ruling that it did not fit the narrow legal window for citizen initiatives to change the 1970 Illinois Constitution on strict party lines; and

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly needs to study these recent developments and other recent information concerning redistricting law, map drawing, and process in preparation for the upcoming redistricting cycle; and

WHEREAS, Action is needed now, given the multi-year process required to amend the Illinois Constitution in order to institute a reformed independent redistricting process by the time the next redistricting occurs; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we support independent redistricting reform and advocate for a non-partisan map-making process by the upcoming redistricting cycle; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be delivered to the legislative leaders of the General Assembly, Governor Rauner, and the Illinois Supreme Court.