Top Democrat lawmakers are calling the Illinois General Assembly into special session at the end of the month. Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch and Senate President Don Harmon are scheduling a special 1-day session on August 31st to redraw political districts based on the census data.
The announcement comes on the heels of State Republicans citing statistical analysis that the Democrat-drawn maps earlier this Spring were unconstitutional, according to their numbers. Republicans and the Mexican American Legal Defense Fund sued shortly after the maps were signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker saying they violated the 1-person, 1-vote provisions in the U.S. Constitution.
Republicans want a federal court in Chicago to declare the maps approved this Spring void and shift the responsibility to a bipartisan committee. CHANGE Illinois has asked that lawmakers hold 4 public hearings on the maps and give the public two weeks to review changes in the map and provide feedback.