Illinois Republicans Sue Over Redistricting Maps
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, Republican leadership in the Illinois Legislature filed a lawsuit challenging the 2021 redistricting maps signed into law by Gov. J. B. Pritzker (D) a few days before. The suit alleges that the maps, which were drawn using preliminary population estimates after the Trump administration’s sabotage of the 2020 census delayed the release of its data, are unconstitutional. The Democratic-controlled Legislature had until June 30, 2021 to pass new maps, otherwise the process would be handed off to a bipartisan committee which would select its last member in a random draw, giving Republicans a 50-50 chance of controlling the redistricting process despite only winning the minority in the state House.
In a statement, Democratic leaders in the Legislature condemned the Republican effort. “Throughout this process, [Republicans] have done nothing but delay and obstruct efforts to ensure our communities are fairly represented, as seen by their refusal to even draft their own proposals. We stand by our work to ensure everyone has a voice in state government,” said state Sens. Omar Aquino (D) and Elgie Sims (D).