Kankakee Times

State Rep. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) agrees with the federal court ruling that newly-drawn district maps were unconstitutional. 

The Associated Press reported that in June, Republicans led by Dan McConchie (R-Hawthorn Woods) and House Republican leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) filed a federal lawsuit against Democrat-drawn legislative maps, alleging that the redistricting process was unfair and conducted in a way that wasn't transparent. 

A three-judge panel in federal court will hear the lawsuit in early December, according to the State Journal-Register.

"I think the most important development that's occurred in recent days is the ruling by the federal courts that the spring maps deemed fair by Gov. Pritzker were in fact unconstitutional, Barickman said at an Oct. 26 news conference. "The courts determined very clearly that the spring maps violated the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution." 

The State Journal-Register reports that as part of the case against the new district maps, the panel will also hear two other lawsuits filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and the East St. Louis Branch of the NAACP and other civil rights groups.

"The ruling made it clear what many of us have been saying for months," Barickman said. "Not just Republicans, groups like ... The League of Women Voters and others who said that Democrats were engaged in a behind-the-scenes closed door process that used inaccurate data and put the votes of Illinois voters at risk."

Attorneys for each of the plaintiffs said they only want to focus on certain contested districts including the Metro East region for the NAACP, portions of Cook County for MALDEF, and both the Metro East and Chicago areas for the Republican plaintiffs.

"Here's why this matters: people want stability in politics," Barickman said. "They want choices at the ballot box. They want to see the two parties come together and solve problems by reaching across the aisle. The map put forward by Democrats put all of those priorities of the public at risk, making it utterly impossible."

The panel will be presided by U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr., U.S. District Judge Jon DeGuilio, chief judge of the Northern District of Indiana, and Judge Michael B. Brennan of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals.

"Voters want choices, they want fair maps, they want representatives who are accountable to them," Barickman said. "And Gov. Pritzker and his fellow Democrats have unfortunately prioritized their partisan objectives over the interest of the people of this state."