year after most legislative initiatives were sidetracked by the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois lawmakers are approaching the end of this year’s spring session facing a backlog of significant and as yet unresolved issues.
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WICS: Illinois minorities feel unseen, forgotten by new redistricting maps
Every ten years, legislative maps are drawn by political leaders to better represent the community.
This year, 26 Illinois community groups are concerned that they are being forgotten about in this year’s process.
Belleville News-Democrat: Democrats unveil legislative map proposal in Illinois, GOP calls it ‘Gerrymandering 101’
House and Senate redistricting committees will hold a series of public hearings this week on a proposed new set of legislative maps that Democrats released late Friday, despite the fact that official census data won’t be available until later this year.
The Democrats’ decision to release the maps after 7:30 p.m. Friday, combined with the fact the majority party also has not divulged all of the data sources they used to draw the maps, drew sharp criticism from Republicans, who called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to veto the maps if they pass.
Herald & Review: Illinois state budget, new district maps and ethics reform are among things to watch for as spring session nears end
Paramount on the list is a new state budget, as legislators look for ways to close a $1.3 billion deficit. But of more political and long-lasting importance is the redrawing by Democrats of state legislative and congressional districts to reflect population changes over the last decade
BBC News: Illinois police face lawsuit over drug testing a toddler's ashes
New body camera footage shows Dartavius Barnes handcuffed and upset as officers take the urn from his car during a traffic stop on 6 April 2020.
In his lawsuit, Mr Barnes said police “desecrated” the ashes of his two-year-old daughter, who died in 2019.
Daily Herald: McHenry County Board to move ahead with public hearing on redistricting proposal
The McHenry County Board last week decided it will move ahead with gathering public input on the redrawing of the county board’s map.
It is a process required by the state of Illinois every 10 years after the U.S. Census to ensure that representation is equal to population changes.
Belleville News-Democrat: Democrats propose a map that could set southern Illinois Republicans against each other
Two GOP state representatives and two senators from southern Illinois could be forced to run against each other in the spring 2022 primary if Democrats approve redrawn districts proposed late last week.
Democrats put Republican state Rep. David Friess of Red Bud into a district with Rep. Charlie Meier of Okawville, and drew together GOP Sens. Jason Plummer of Edwardsville and Darren Bailey of Xenia. Redistricting happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census count and is supposed to realign districts with population shifts.