What Common Cause Says About Illinois Redistricting
Common Cause called Illinois "a nearly perfect model for everything that can go wrong with redistricting," giving the state an F in its national redistricting report card. The group says the process lacked transparency and had minimal public participation. They say the Democratic-controlled legislature drew maps to protect its supermajority and increase partisan advantage.
The new maps came after Illinois lost a congressional seat, shifting the delegation from 13–5 to 14–3 in favor of Democrats, even though the state is closely divided politically. Common Cause also criticizes the maps for reducing Latino opportunity districts, despite Latino population growth.
They note the maps faced lawsuits over partisan and racial gerrymandering. While constitutional limits make an independent commission hard to establish in Illinois, Common Cause calls for achievable reforms:
Nonpartisan map-drawing criteria
Accessibility for all residents
Greater public input
Their bottom line: Illinois's redistricting process is deeply flawed and benefits politicians, not voters.
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57 Years Ago — Same Lesson
I was twelve years old, fifty-seven years ago, when my social studies teacher explained a word I had never heard before: gerrymandering.
She drew a map on the chalkboard with districts shaped in odd, twisting ways.
This is nothing new under the sun.
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What Are We Really Talking About Here?
Read my Substack "Texas Is Red Because A) Republican Cheating or B) Decades-Long Democratic Party Incompetence and Laziness" for the full story behind the headlines — and why Illinois's criticism of Texas rings hollow.