94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0021

 

Introduced 9/12/2005, by Rep. Ron Stephens

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 3

    Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Requires that Legislative and Representative Districts be substantially equal in population of citizens (now, substantially equal in population). Effective with the 2011 redistricting.


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A BILL FOR

 

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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
2
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

 
3     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
4 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
5 SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that there shall be submitted to the
6 electors of the State for adoption or rejection at the general
7 election next occurring at least 6 months after the adoption of
8 this resolution a proposition to amend the Illinois
9 Constitution by changing Section 3 of Article IV as follows:
 
10
ARTICLE IV
11
THE LEGISLATURE

12     (ILCON Art. IV, Sec. 3)
13 SECTION 3. LEGISLATIVE REDISTRICTING
14     (a) Legislative Districts shall be compact, contiguous and
15 substantially equal in population of citizens. Representative
16 Districts shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially
17 equal in population of citizens.
18     (b) In the year following each Federal decennial census
19 year, the General Assembly by law shall redistrict the
20 Legislative Districts and the Representative Districts.
21     If no redistricting plan becomes effective by June 30 of
22 that year, a Legislative Redistricting Commission shall be
23 constituted not later than July 10. The Commission shall
24 consist of eight members, no more than four of whom shall be
25 members of the same political party.
26     The Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of
27 Representatives shall each appoint to the Commission one
28 Representative and one person who is not a member of the
29 General Assembly. The President and Minority Leader of the
30 Senate shall each appoint to the Commission one Senator and one
31 person who is not a member of the General Assembly.
32     The members shall be certified to the Secretary of State by
33 the appointing authorities. A vacancy on the Commission shall

 

 

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1 be filled within five days by the authority that made the
2 original appointment. A Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be
3 chosen by a majority of all members of the Commission.
4     Not later than August 10, the Commission shall file with
5 the Secretary of State a redistricting plan approved by at
6 least five members.
7     If the Commission fails to file an approved redistricting
8 plan, the Supreme Court shall submit the names of two persons,
9 not of the same political party, to the Secretary of State not
10 later than September 1.
11     Not later than September 5, the Secretary of State publicly
12 shall draw by random selection the name of one of the two
13 persons to serve as the ninth member of the Commission.
14     Not later than October 5, the Commission shall file with
15 the Secretary of State a redistricting plan approved by at
16 least five members.
17     An approved redistricting plan filed with the Secretary of
18 State shall be presumed valid, shall have the force and effect
19 of law and shall be published promptly by the Secretary of
20 State.
21     The Supreme Court shall have original and exclusive
22 jurisdiction over actions concerning redistricting the House
23 and Senate, which shall be initiated in the name of the People
24 of the State by the Attorney General.
25 (Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 4,
26 1980.)
 
27
SCHEDULE
28     This Constitutional Amendment takes effect beginning with
29 redistricting in 2011.