McHenry Times

Veteran state Rep. Steve Reick (R-Woodstock) doesn’t mince words about what he thinks needs to come next in the map redistricting debate.

“It’s important to understand the state constitution provides that by June 30 if we’re not able to come to a legislative understanding what the map is going to be, we are in a position to have a commission that’s appointed with four members from legislature, four non-members and a ninth member chosen by draw,” Reick said during a recent House hearing on the matter. “It also provides the ability for there to be court challenges, but the Supreme Court is not in a position to overturn what the constitution tells us in the process to doing these maps.”

With U.S. Census Bureau officials having already indicated that data they provide as part of the process won’t be available by a June 30 deadline, Reick said he thinks Democrats need to slow  the process down if it brings fairer maps for the state.

“To say we should be going to American Community Survey or some other form of data is nothing more than an attempt on behalf of the majority that runs this show to avoid the possibility of getting a 50-50 draw and losing it at the end of the process,” he added. “I think we’ve been in court three or four times already on the fact that we haven’t been able to draw the maps by June 30. There’s a process in place and we shouldn’t try to change the means by which we count people in these districts simply because it’s inconvenient.”

As the situation grows more tense, Republican lawmakers have proposed the People’s Independent Maps Act as a solution. The measure would completely remove lawmakers from the job of redrawing maps and give the state Supreme Court the power to appoint 16 independent citizens to a redistricting commission within 30 days of passage.