McHenry Times

State Sen. Republican Leader Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) is pressing for the welfare of residents to be put first in the bubbling debate over map redistricting.

“There’s a way to do it and a way to do it constitutionally and a way we can do it in a bipartisan manner that actually returns the power to the people,” McConchie told WGN News in pushing for a bipartisan process.

Republican lawmakers are promoting Senate Bill 1325, known as the People’s Independent Maps Act, as the solution. The measure seeks to take politicians completely out of the mix when it comes to map redistricting and instead rely on the state Supreme Court to appoint 16 independent citizens to a redistricting commission that will handle the task.

“Every Illinoisan deserves to be represented in our democracy," McConchie recently told WMBD News. “An independent map drawn by the people for the people and not by politicians for politicians is really the best way to have their voices heard.”

McConchie points to SB 1325 as a safeguard against Democrats going back on their word of supporting an independent map, including Gov. J.B. Pritzker who, as a candidate, vowed not to sign any partisan-drawn map.

While the task of map drawing normally goes to the party in control, the state Constitution currently dictates that if a new map is not completed by a June 30 deadline, a bipartisan commission with four members from each party chosen by party leaders will handle redistricting.