Sangamon Sun

Veteran state Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) argues that the enactment of the “People’s Independent Maps Act” could come to impact a lot more than just map redistricting.

“It shows that people have trust in government if they know that the maps aren’t being drawn behind closed doors,” Butler told WMBD News.  

A growing band of Republican lawmakers are now pushing the proposed legislation as a way of putting the power of the ballot box in the hands of voters as opposed to what some argue is some lawmakers now being able to pick their own voters.

“The People’s Independent Maps Act” would put Illinois Supreme Court members in charge of appointing a 16-member panel of “independent citizen commissioners,” to tackle the once-a-decade task.

While the job typically goes to the party in control, the state constitution currently dictates that if a new map is not completed by a June 30 deadline, a bipartisan commission with four members from each party chosen by party leaders will redraw the maps.

Due to a delay in federal Census Bureau data, the most accurate and updated data is not expected to be available until several months after the deadline has passed.

Illinois has long been known for its history of gerrymandering, which many critics argue leaves voters with a muted say in who comes to represent them and can often lead to corruption in government.