The Better Government Association shares the hope of our friends and colleagues in the Independent Maps coalition that the voters of Illinois will have the opportunity to place redistricting decisions in the hands of an independent panel that represents the public interest.
Here is the independent Maps statement, which we support wholeheartedly.
Independent Map Amendment will appeal to Illinois Supreme Court following Circuit Court ruling
Independent Map Amendment
Published: July 20, 2016
CHICAGO – Independent Maps Chairman Dennis FitzSimons’ statement about today’s Cook County Circuit Court ruling:
“We are disappointed that Judge Larsen has ruled against the Independent Map Amendment and the 564,000 Illinois residents who signed a petition to change a broken system and eliminate the inherent conflict of interest where politicians draw their own legislative districts. We expected from the beginning of this effort that the issue would ultimately be decided by the Illinois Supreme Court. We will file for an expedited appeal to the State’s highest court.
“A great deal of care went into crafting an amendment that follows constitutional guidelines while also creating a system that is independent, fair, transparent, and protects the ability of minority communities to elect candidates of their choosing. Redistricting reform was specifically addressed by the framers of our constitution as a ‘critical’ area for citizen petition initiatives. We believe that the Illinois Supreme Court will side with Illinois voters and not deny citizens the opportunity to vote on this amendment.”
