Democrat-backed Redistricting Plan Passes Illinois House Committee

An Illinois House committee advanced a Democrat-backed plan Tuesday to change the legislative redistricting process. It could be called for a floor vote as soon as Wednesday. But Republicans made a last ditch attempt to keep their own proposal alive:

The big difference between the two sides is that Democrats want lawmakers to have a shot at deciding their own districts, before passing deadlocked cases over to a "special master".. Their plan also calls for statewide hearings and separate maps for both chambers. Republicans say a panel of non-lawmakers should be given the task of mapping out legislative districts.

"If we say no, we don't believe this process is right and we're going to stick to our guns that the legislature should not be part of this", says GOP Rep. Jim Durkin of Western Springs.

Since Republicans are in the minority at the state capitol... their plan has been blocked. But even though Democrats have the edge in the House... their measure needs at least one Republican to come on board for it to pass.

The Republican effort also has the backing of the League of Women Voters. That group's effort to circumvent the legislature by collecting voter signatures is coming up short.

Meanwhile, debate over the two plans led to flaring tempers at a hearing of the House Civil Law Committee on Tuesday.

Chris Butler, an African American volunteer with the League of Women Voters, questioned what the Democrats' version does to help elect minorities.

"I take strong offense to this caucus...parading as great defenders of minority rights", said Butler.

To which Chicago Democratic Senator Kwame Raoul, who's also African American, took offense.

"If you're going to say that you're African American and you're fighting for African American rights and all of this", responded Raoul, "you know, look at the language and answer the question honestly. You know, don't bring tokens out here to defend something that is inadequate. It's insulting."

IIllinois' current redistricting process typically gives one party a huge political advantage for the next decade.