McLean County Times

Sen. Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) released a statement on his website demanding that “people choose their own representatives” and rebel against the current gerrymandering policy in Illinois.

Gerrymandering allows the current elected officials in Illinois to privately design their own district maps which allows them to gain more votes during election cycles. Brady calls on the Illinois General Assembly to support the Senate Joint Resolution-Constitutional Amendment 4 (SJRCA 4) that will allow more independent, non-partisan committees to design the maps themselves.

“I believe the residents of our great state should be the ones choosing their representatives, it shouldn’t be the other way around,” Brady said in his statement.

SJRCA 4 already has 37 state legislators sponsoring the bill, which already meets the amount required for the measure to pass. Brady’s statement also includes results from a Paul Simon Public Policy Institute survey, which shows that 72 percent of Illinois citizens support the idea of amending the state constitution in order for these independent committees to be organized.

“For too long, the people of Illinois haven’t had a voice in this process – it’s time to change that,” Brady said. “By advancing this legislation and getting this resolution on the ballot, we’re putting the power to bring about change in the hands of the voters where it belongs.”