McLean County Times

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Decatur) is calling on Springfield to be true to its roots when it comes to the state’s representation.

“Should we draw another Hispanic congressional district, absolutely,” Davis said during a recent press conference on the issue posted to YouTube. “That is something these mapmakers ought to take into consideration.”

With the time for the state’s once-every-decade map redistricting project now here, a growing number of Republican lawmakers are demanding sweeping changes to the way communities come to be represented in the name of a fairer process.

According to WCIA News, while Hispanic voters make up more than 11% of the state’s voting-age population, elected Latino representatives make up just 7% of the state legislature and only one of the state’s 18 members of Congress.

“The Latino population in Illinois is actually higher than the African American population, but that is not represented in the Illinois General Assembly,” said Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield).  

All across the state, Republican lawmakers are demanding changes to the system, including taking politicians completely out of the business of redistricting. In the minds of a growing number of Republican legislators the answer lies in the passage of the People’s Independent Maps Act, which seeks to grant the state Supreme Court the power to appoint 16 independent citizens to a redistricting commission within 30 days of passage.

As it is, the party with the legislative majority controls the redistricting process. In Illinois, that puts all the power in the hands of Democrats, who control the House and Senate and the Governor’s Office.