Lt. Governor Simon Calls for Map Hearings

SPRINGFIELD–(ENEWSPF)–April 14, 2011.  Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today endorsed a plan to hold public hearings on a forthcoming state and congressional legislative map, so that voters can provide feedback on the proposed districts.

Simon, who was a member of the Illinois Reform Commission, said she supports the Senate Redistricting Committee’s plan to hold two public hearings after a proposed map is made public. She called for the hearings to be held in Northern and Southern Illinois in May.

“The remap is a once-in-a-decade event that helps determine how voters will be represented at the Statehouse and in Washington D.C.,” said Simon, who has met with legislative leaders from both parties. “We want voters to be heard.”

Governor Quinn signed the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011 and Redistricting Transparency and Public Participation Act in March. It established the first changes to the Illinois redistricting process since the 1970 Constitutional Convention and first voting rights act in Illinois history.

Simon said the Act “set a floor, not a ceiling” for the amount of public participation in the redistricting process, calling for at least four public hearings statewide to receive testimony and inform the public on the applicable existing districts.

Both the Senate and House redistricting committees have gone beyond what the law requires, putting Illinois on a path toward inclusion for all Illinoisans in the political process.

The Senate committee, chaired by Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago) has held two public hearings to date with 11 more scheduled across the state before a map is drawn. Raoul said earlier this week that he also intends to add two public hearings after the map is drawn but before the Senate votes on it.

The House redistricting committee, chaired by Rep. Barbara Flynn Currie (D-Chicago), will host its first of 15 scheduled hearings on April 16 in Marengo. The remaining 14 hearings will be held in April at various locations throughout the state.

The redistricting committees also announced the availability of workstations and software that the public can use to submit maps for consideration in the redistricting process, adding another layer of public participation to the remap efforts. In addition to the workstation already present in the Stratton Office Building in Springfield, beginning April 19th the 7th floor of the Bilandic Building in Chicago will also host a workspace. Users will have access to census and demographic data and current district, ward, and county boundaries. Facilitators will also be present to offer technical assistance.

Redistricting refers to the process of redefining the political geographic boundaries including representative, senate, and congressional districts. The state Constitution gives the General Assembly the responsibility for redrawing legislative boundaries every 10 years after the release of the decennial Census.

Senate and House Redistricting Committee & Sub-Committee Hearings