In the wake of a tremendous, expensive grass-roots petition effort backed by dozens of businesses and civic groups, the state Supreme Court ruled to uphold a Cook County Circuit Court judge’s initial decision – in a long-awaited, decidedly partisan 4-3 decision. Pat Quinn speaks with the media in Chicago.
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Thus, the second attempt in two years to reform a secretive redistricting process, controlled by politicians with little public involvement, which is unfair to minorities, skews election results, stifles competition, and thwarts the will of the people, has failed.
“More than 563,000 IL voters signed Independent Map Amendment petitions, and we owe it to them and thousands of volunteers across the state to make every possible effort to convince the court that the amendment deserves to be placed before voters in November”, FitzSimons said.
Former Gov. Pat Quinn on Tuesday unveiled his own plan for redistricting, which he dubbed “clean and pristine” – just days after the Illinois Supreme Court ruled a voter referendum-driven change unconstitutional.
“Voters deserve the chance to be heard on remap reform”.
The Democrat says an 11-member commission appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court should draw political boundaries.
Jillian Rose Bernas (R-Schaumburg) recently joined her colleagues in protesting the Illinois Supreme Court’s decision to uphold a ban on placing the Independent Map Amendment on November’s election ballot. Critics including the current Governor say Madigan is more concerned about the dilution of his power by denying him the ability to draw districts favorable to Democrats. Mike Kasper, general counsel for the Illinois Democratic Party, filed a lawsuit in May trying to block the Independent Maps proposal.
Meanwhile, the Illinois Republican Party accused Quinn of being part of the redistricting mess, saying he signed into law today’s district maps in 2011.
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FitzSimons said a rehearing of the case might be sought. “We don’t need Pat Quinn to fix Pat Quinn’s map”.
