Illinois has taken on a central role in the national debate over who gets to draw the maps which determine the lawmakers you get to choose.
And now, there's a move to change how those maps are drawn for seats at the state capitol in Springfield.
Convicted former state House Speaker Michael Madigan hasn't been in the Legislature for four years, but which state lawmaker you get to vote for is still being determined by maps he and his super-majority Democrats drew years ago.
"The people are really cut out of an opportunity to really have a say in who the candidates are," said former Illinois Republican Congressman and Obama-era Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. He's working with longtime Democrat and former Commerce Secretary Bill Daley on a petition drive designed to take that mapmaking away from the lawmakers from the majority party, and turn it over to an independent commission.
LaHood says this will be the second attempt to put a so-called "Fair Maps" referendum in front of Illinois voters. "We're talking about getting on the ballot a referendum that was thrown off the ballot in 2016."
That was then, LaHood notes. Now, Madigan's gone, the court is different, and he believes the drive has a chance.
The coalition will have to submit more than 326,000 valid petition signatures by next May to be considered for the 2026 ballot.
However, leaders of the "Change Illinois" coalition say they're troubled by what they call the lack of engagement with people most affected by racial gerrymandering.
