SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Statehouse Democrats worked late into the night Thursday to pass a new gerrymandered congressional map for the next 10 years.
Illinois lost a seat in Congress due to the loss of population in the 2020 U.S. Census. However, the new partisan divide for the state’s delegation will be 14-3, according to news partner 25 News.
The map passed out of the Senate on a 41-18 vote. House Democrats barely passed the proposal on a 71-43 tally. Four representatives opted out of voting.
Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) said Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democrats had no interest in doing the best thing for the people of Illinois. He pleaded with Senate Democrats to stand up against the party and make a difference.
“Stop creating battle lines between the two sides and the two parties. Quit making everything about politics,” Barickman said. “You’ve got an opportunity to do something about this. Why don’t you stand up and do the right thing?”
Senate President Don Harmon said the public had two weeks to see the proposal. He noted Democrats made changes to reflect feedback from citizens and lawmakers. Although, Republicans complained that the majority party didn’t allow for another redistricting hearing once they had the final proposal ready.
Republicans also noted that Democratic staff met with congressional Democrats to hear what they wanted for new districts. Harmon stressed that he never participated in those “secret meetings.” He said Republicans made discussions with stakeholders seem sinister when they weren’t.
“We all have meetings with stakeholders in developing legislation,” Harmon said. “And then we have public hearings where those ideas are hashed out. The product of all of that input we received – from the public hearings, through the portal, through email submissions, through meetings with stakeholders – is embodied in the map before us today.
The Senate voted on the proposal nearly three hours after Democratic leaders dropped the final map proposal.
Sponsors believe this map can maintain the state’s status as a national leader for minority representation. Some advocates note that Illinois now has a larger Latino population than Arizona. That led Democrats to create a second majority Latino congressional district.
By eliminating the 18th District, the new map moves Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Peoria) into the expanded 16th District.
LaHood spoke with WMBD’s “The Greg and Dan Show” Friday morning.
“What I like is, I keep Peoria, I keep Tazewell County, I keep Woodford County, I keep the base where I’m from….I keep Bloomington-Normal. My district changes a little bit, it used to go south all the way down to Quincy, Jacksonville and Springfield, it now goes north, it’ll take me up to Princeton, up to the Rockford suburbs and to the Wisconsin borders,” LaHood said.
LaHood said the map must still be signed by the governor.
“Assuming this gets signed into law, I’m ready to run for re-election in this district. But, I’m happy that Peoria and Central Illinois stays together in this new district…and I look forward to running for re-election again in a partially new district,” LaHood said.
Illinois’ new congressional map now heads to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature.
(25 News)
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