McHenry Times

For years, controversy has raged about the methodology used to draw voting districts at the state levels. This process has been controlled by whichever party happens to be in control at that moment, meaning that the districts very often favor that party heavily. Instead of drawing districts in a way that makes sense to secure equal representation, the district lines often end up disenfranchising people and making their vote less valuable. 

House and Senate Republicans have introduced the People's Independent Maps Act, which would put the power of choosing districts into the hands of the citizens of the state. 

Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) commented on the effort, saying, "While ⁦‪Illinois Senate Democrats‬⁩ press ahead to secure a new partisan legislative map, the ⁦Illinois Senate Republican Caucus introduces bill that would finally give voters independently drawn political maps in Illinois."

The bill would be a constitutional amendment for selecting districts and would put at least some legislators out of the process altogether. Public polls that have been conducted in recent years indicate that about 75% of voters in Illinois support establishing an independent process that puts voters in control of establishing districts in the state. 

Democrats in the state have pushed for similar legislation in the past.