McLean County Times

Republican lawmakers in Illinois have introduced legislation that would put the state's redistricting process solely in the hands of an independent commission. 

The People's Independent Maps Act, or Senate Bill 1325, has language that mirrors a constitutional amendment Sen. Julie Morrison (D-Deerfield) proposed two years ago. At the time 37 senators sponsored the amendment including 18 Democrats. 

"It's time for Illinois to finally end the practice of partisan gerrymandering where politicians are allowed to pick their voters instead of people choosing their elected officials," Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) wrote in an April 1 Facebook post. 

Illinois law requires lawmakers to to finalize and approve the new maps by the end of June.  Under the proposal, legislators wouldn't be involved in the process at all. Instead, the Supreme Court would select 16 independent people with even party representation to serve on the Independent Redistricting Commission.  

"Good government groups" have spent years advocating for such commissions to be tasked with drawing congressional and state legislative maps. 600,000 people  signed petitions in both 2015 and 2016 that supported having voters make the decision on independent commissions. According to a release posted on Sen. Barickman's website,  75% of voters in the state are in favor of having a redistricting process that puts drawing the maps in the hands of the people instead of politicians.