PEORIA, Ill. — Illinois legislators and government activists from Peoria and around the state held a network of news conferences Thursday to voice support for the Fair Maps Amendment, a comprehensive reform of the state’s redistricting rules.
State Representative Ryan Spain of Peoria was joined by members of CHANGE Illinois, a non-partisan, non-profit group that leads a coalition of more than two dozen organizations supporting the amendment.
Under the Fair Maps Amendment, the current system which allows legislators to draw gerrymandered districts, would be overturned.
Instead, an independent redistricting commission would be chosen to draw the district maps for the Illinois House and Senate.
Spain said the time has come to change the system.
“We have seen politicians that continue to be elected each year without opposition. We see politicians that are now positioned to draw their own legislative district after the upcoming census later this year”, said Spain.
Madeleine Doubek, executive director for CHANGE Illinois, said the residents of Illinois overwhelmingly support redistricting reform.
“An independent poll by SIU’s Paul Simon Institute found 67 percent of Illinois voters want an independent commission to draw legislative lines,” said Doubek.
The Fair Maps Amendment was officially filed Thursday in hopes of putting the legislation in place in time for the next redistricting in the spring of 2021.
