Will County Gazette

A fair maps bill making its way through the Illinois Senate is exactly what people — not politicians — in the state need, legislation co-sponsor and Senate Deputy Minority Leader Sue Rezin (R-Morris) said during an interview on April 12.

Senate Bill 1325, also called the People’s Independent Maps Act, will remove politicians from making decisions about redistricting and place that power in the hands of Illinoisans.

"For years, Illinoisans on both sides of the political spectrum have called for the use of an independent commission that truly represents their interests, instead of the partisan politics that are currently used," Rezin told WALLS 102. 

Illinois Congressman Rodney Davis of Taylorsville

Senate Bill 1325 will reform the state's currently heavily gerrymandered districts, Rezin, added as an SB 1325 co-sponsor, said in an earlier Facebook post.

"The People's Independent Maps Act, Senate Bill 1325, is about ensuring that our legislative maps are NOT drawn by politicians who benefit directly from unfair maps," Rezin said in the April 8 post to her Facebook page. "An identical version of this legislation was introduced as a constitutional amendment just last year and garnered the support of 18 Senate Democrats and all Republicans. Given the bipartisan support this legislation had, it is our hope that we can move this legislation through and give the people of Illinois a truly fair map."

The Republican-led bill would task the state Supreme Court with creating the Independent Redistricting Commission comprised of 16-appointed members who are not lawmakers, state employees or lobbyists. If approved, the commissioners would make the new legislative maps in 2021 that would be used for the next 10 years.

On the same day as Rezin's WALLS 102, Illinois U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Ill.) and other Republicans joined in a news conference at the State House to call upon Gov. J.B. Pritzker to support the People's Independent Maps Act.

"Governor Pritzker ran on a crystal-clear commitment to veto any redistricting plan that was drawn by lawmakers," Davis said in a news release. “That is exactly the type of redistricting process we have happening right now, and the Governor has been AWOL on this issue since the public hearings on redistricting began."

SB 1325 chief co-sponsors are Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) and Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Rock Island).

None of SB 1325's current co-sponsors are Democrats.

The language of SB 1325 is identical to that of the bipartisan SJRCA 0004, which would have amended the state's Constitution to allow for an independent redistricting commission. Rezin was one of 37 Senate co-sponsors, including 18 Democrats, of SJRCA 0004.