Allen Skillicorn, the Republican candidate for state representative from House District 66, which includes Algonquin, recently upbraided Democrat House Speaker Mike Madigan of Chicago for his assertive resistance to the approved Independent Map Amendment ballot item regarding Illinois’ legislative district boundaries.
Attorneys who previously represented Madigan, along with Senate President John Cullerton, gave voice to Madigan’s opposition by filing a lawsuit to prevent the measure from appearing on November’s ballot. The complaint claims that the proposal is unconstitutional and unduly burdens the state’s auditor general.
“Voters should pick politicians, corrupt politicians should not get to pick their voters!” Skillicorn said in a Facebook post. “Independent maps, through meaningful redistricting reform, is a critical first step to restoring citizen control and fixing what's broken in Springfield.”
The initiative to permit Illinois citizens to decide whether an independent commission should be appointed to redraw political boundaries was approved unanimously this week by the State Board of Elections after the Independent Map Amendment group collected twice the minimum number of signatures. Earlier attempts to pass similar legislation in 2014 were hindered by administrative roadblocks.
The Independent Map Amendment group advocates for a bipartisan committee to determine political districts, a process regularly done every 10 years based upon census results. Their platform supports transparency and, if successful, would upend the current system of map revisions being handled by the controlling political party.
“Mike Madigan and all those trying to block this amendment with a lawsuit are disenfranchising voters across the state,” Skillicorn said. “Time to get rid of Madigan and those he influences here in the suburbs!”
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