Sen. Brian Stewart (R-Freeport) wants to give the power to the people with a constitutional amendment that would allow for public voting on who draws map lines and boundaries in the state of Illinois.
The bill, SJRCA 4, is a bipartisan piece of legislation with 37 sponsors and is expected to pass.
According to a post on the senator's website, the recent ruling from the Supreme Court giving the power of redistricting to state governments is a call to action for Illinois residents to amend their constitution. The amendment would put fair boundary drawing on the ballot.
An amendment to the state's constitution could allow for an independent redistricting commission that would provide the process of redistricting and map drawing with the transparency it is currently lacking. This measure would also allow for public meetings, in which residents would be allowed to provide feedback on any decisions made concerning redistricting, according to Stewart.
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