CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A government reform group said now is the time for Illinois to adopt an independent—and transparent—way to redraw legislative districts. Michael Madigan's legal troubles are the reason for that.
Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan and his attorney Michael Kasper have long fought to block independent redistricting; so partisan politicians draw the districts, now often protecting themselves.
But Madeleine Doubek, Executive Director of CHANGE Illinois noted that Madigan was implicated—though not charged—in the ComEd bribery case, and he's facing challenges from fellow Democrats.
"At the moment is appears that we may have a new Speaker of the House for the first time in many decades, and this is an extraordinary opportunity to give the people of Illinois what they have long clamored for, which is transparent, independent redistricting," she said.
Madigan and his allies have successfully blocked any changes in the partisan remapping that lets politicians select their voters, instead of the other way around. Doubek admits, the state constitution requires lawmakers to draw the maps, but they could create an advisory commission.
"I think if we involved regular residents in the process that there is a great deal of hope that things would be done differently. In fact, our friends at the Better Government Association recently commissioned some maps to be published," she said.
Madigan and his allies have argued that so-called "fair maps" would lead to fewer African American and LatinX lawmakers, but Doubek said that is categorically false.
