State Sen. Jil Tracy recently advocated for The People’s Independent Maps Act, which she said would ensure that future redistricting is independent of the immediate political climate. | File Photo
State Sen. Jil Tracy recently advocated for The People’s Independent Maps Act, which she said would ensure that future redistricting is independent of the immediate political climate. | File Photo
Republican state senators and representatives are endorsing legislation that would remove redistricting from politicians' hands, creating instead an independent commission to draw future maps that determine how Illinoisans are represented in the Illinois General Assembly.
Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) posted March 31 about Senate Bill 1325, The People's Independent Maps Act, on her official Facebook page.
"Every Illinoisan deserves to be represented in our democracy, and an independent map drawn by the people for the people, not by the politicians for the politicians is the best way to make their voices heard," Tracy said in her Facebook post.
Instead of the party holding majority power leading the redistricting process that would determine future election outcomes, SB 1325 seeks to have the state Supreme Court appoint a 16-member commission to craft the maps.
The commission would reflect the state's population demographics and bar lawmakers, state workers and lobbyists.
"The state's current system of drawing legislative maps gives current officeholders the power to draw district lines, allowing partisan politics to influence the final map outcome and stifle voters," Republican lawmakers said in a release.
Having an independent process for redistricting already has strong popular support, according to coverage by Crain's Chicago Business. Public polls have shown that approximately 75% of Illinois voters support an independent process that gives politicians less influence over who will vote for them.
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