Sangamon Sun

State Sen. Sally Turner (R-Beason) participated in a recent Senate Redistricting Committee hearing to discussing remapping.

Turner was joined by Sen. Win Stoller (R- Germantown Hills) and Sen. Steve McClure (R-Springfield). McClure encouraged the committee to listen to the witnesses “and provide answers to the very important questions they may ask.”

After NAACP representative Al Hooks testified, Turner said, “You kept bringing up transparency and I'm curious what you mean by that word?”

Hooks said, “This means the efforts, rules, guidelines are well communicated to the public and that the public has the opportunity to make input.” 

When Stoller asked him if he is concerned that the new map might be drawn without the most recent population data, Stoller said, “Any decision can be questioned afterward but as long as you make the decision by the best data, let the questions come."

McClure earlier said that the hearings on remapping should not be rushed and that apart from the legislators, the public should also participate.

“This is the fourth committee hearing on the remap in the last six days,” McClure said. “There has been a reoccurring theme in each one. Why are citizens and groups getting such short notice to participate? Numerous (groups) have asked for at least two weeks (notice) for these hearings. And we echo those requests. There is no need to rush these hearings because the official data has been delayed and it will not be here until this fall. We agree with numerous advocacy groups that have testified in support of an independent commission where citizens choose their elected officials instead of the process where partisan politicians choose who they want to represent.”

Redistricting is done every 10 years, and gerrymandering, the practice of drawing voting districts to favor one political party over another, has been routine in Illinois. 

Republicans have been calling for years for fair redistricting. It “has plagued our democracy since the days of the Founding Fathers,” according to an opinion article written by Rep. David S. Olsen (R-Illlinois) and Sen. Frank LaRose (R-Ohio).

Prison gerrymandering also poses concern as map re-drawing efforts are underway. It is “set to linger here in Illinois at least through 2031,” Prairie State Wire reported.