Lake County Gazette

As the Democratic majority lawmakers map out new district boundaries by a deadline that's less than three months away, Republicans have proposed a plan that would take redistricting out of the hands of politicians and into the hands of a bipartisan panel. 

A new map has to be finalized by June 30 If the Democrats making the map miss the deadline,  Republican lawmakers have a proposal.

"All of that has to happen, the entire process either signed into law, a new map, or a veto override, has to happen by June 30 for the Legislature to be able to retain power, retain control over how to draw the map," Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Cook) told Steve Bertrand on WGN radio's Chicago Afternoon News program.

Republicans, who are in the minority at the capitol, have proposed another option that would leave politics out of the map-making process. It's called the People's Independent Maps Act and would have the Illinois Supreme Court select 16 people to the "independent citizens commission" who'd be responsible for drawing the district map. 

"There would be protections," McConchie said on the program. " You would have to have minorities on there, you would have to have women on there, you would have to have communities of interest."

McConchie said there would also be rules to prevent breaking up communities of interest and protections for minority groups as well.

"All of these things would be outlined in legislation in order to give clear protections to every group within the state no matter how small," McConchie said on WGN. 

The commission would need to have a minimum of ten public hearings across the state, with at least four held after the creation of a proposed map.

Political insiders would be barred from serving on the commission.