94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT
HC0030

 

Introduced 1/27/2006, by Rep. Suzanne Bassi

 

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

    Proposes to amend the Legislature Article of the Illinois Constitution. Provides that the State Board of Elections shall produce a redistricting plan using a computer program. In the year following each Federal decennial census year, requires the State Board of Elections to designate its computer program by April 15 and to file the redistricting plan by June 1, which is presumed valid and has the force and effect of law. The computer program designated by the State Board of Elections must disregard specified data and must consider certain prioritized factors; the computer program shall otherwise produce districts in a random manner. Effective beginning with redistricting in 2011 and applies to members elected in 2012 and thereafter.


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A BILL FOR

 

HC0030 LRB094 18957 RCE 54417 e

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 Section 3 of Article IV
9 of the Illinois Constitution 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. Representative Districts
16 shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in
17 population.
18     (b) By April 15 of the year following each Federal
19 decennial census year, the State Board of Elections, by a
20 record vote of a majority of the total number of members
21 authorized by law as provided in Section 5 of Article III,
22 shall designate a computer program for redistricting the
23 Legislative Districts and Representative Districts that meets
24 the requirements of this Section. The designation shall include
25 detailed specifications of the computer program.
26     Any computer program designated by the State Board of
27 Elections under this Section shall embody the following
28 standards and criteria, as defined by Common Law, in this order
29 of priority:
30         (1) contiguity;
31         (2) substantial equality of population;
32         (3) compactness;
33         (4) minimization of the number of districts that cross

 

 

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1     county or municipal boundaries; and
2         (5) a fair reflection of minority voting strength.
3 Any computer program designated by the State Board of Elections
4 under this Section shall not consider the following data:
5         (1) residency of incumbent legislators;
6         (2) political affiliations of registered voters;
7         (3) previous election results; and
8         (4) demographic information not required to be used by
9     this Section or by the United States Constitution or
10     federal law.
11 Except as specified in this Section, the computer program shall
12 produce districts in a random manner.
13      (c) (b) In the year following each Federal decennial
14 census year, the State Board of Elections General Assembly by
15 law shall redistrict the Legislative Districts and the
16 Representative Districts using the computer program designated
17 under subsection (b). The State Board of Elections shall
18 approve a redistricting plan by a record vote of a majority of
19 the total number of members authorized by law as provided in
20 Section 5 of Article III, and the Board shall file that plan
21 with the Secretary of State no later than June 1 of the year
22 following the Federal decennial census year.
23     (d) The State Board of Elections shall designate a computer
24 program under subsection (b) and shall approve a plan under
25 subsection (c) at public meetings. The Board shall give
26 reasonable and adequate advance notice of those meetings.
27     If no redistricting plan becomes effective by June 30 of
28 that year, a Legislative Redistricting Commission shall be
29 constituted not later than July 10. The Commission shall
30 consist of eight members, no more than four of whom shall be
31 members of the same political party.
32     The Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of
33 Representatives shall each appoint to the Commission one
34 Representative and one person who is not a member of the
35 General Assembly. The President and Minority Leader of the
36 Senate shall each appoint to the Commission one Senator and one

 

 

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1 person who is not a member of the General Assembly.
2     The members shall be certified to the Secretary of State by
3 the appointing authorities. A vacancy on the Commission shall
4 be filled within five days by the authority that made the
5 original appointment. A Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be
6 chosen by a majority of all members of the Commission.
7     Not later than August 10, the Commission shall file with
8 the Secretary of State a redistricting plan approved by at
9 least five members.
10     If the Commission fails to file an approved redistricting
11 plan, the Supreme Court shall submit the names of two persons,
12 not of the same political party, to the Secretary of State not
13 later than September 1.
14     Not later than September 5, the Secretary of State publicly
15 shall draw by random selection the name of one of the two
16 persons to serve as the ninth member of the Commission.
17     Not later than October 5, the Commission shall file with
18 the Secretary of State a redistricting plan approved by at
19 least five members.
20     (e) An approved redistricting plan filed with the Secretary
21 of State shall be presumed valid, shall have the force and
22 effect of law and shall be published promptly by the Secretary
23 of State.
24     (f) The Supreme Court shall have original and exclusive
25 jurisdiction over actions concerning redistricting the House
26 and Senate, which shall be initiated in the name of the People
27 of the State by the Attorney General.
28 (Source: Amendment adopted at general election November 4,
29 1980.)
 
30
SCHEDULE
31     This Constitutional Amendment takes effect beginning with
32 redistricting in 2011 and applies to the election of members of
33 the General Assembly in 2012 and thereafter.