Political remap hearings miss suburbs

SPRINGFIELD — As a Senate panel begins plans to take testimony about the every-decade task of redrawing political boundaries, some Republicans are raising concerns that too few public hearings are scheduled in the part of the state that’s gained the most population — the Northwest and West suburbs.

A 16-member Senate committee is scheduled to start a series of public hearings on redistricting Monday in Chicago and will conduct four more dates in Springfield, Peoria, Kankakee and Cicero next month.

“I find it curious that since suburbia now makes up the biggest part of the population, that there are no suburban redistricting hearings,” said Sen. Kirk Dillard, a Hinsdale Republican. “I hope that is not a precursor for how the Democrats treat suburbia in drawing the map.”

The redistricting process can be one of the most ruthless and politically important undertakings lawmakers take on each decade. Lawmakers draw up boundaries for both members of Congress and the Illinois General Assembly.

And because of the suburbs’ population growth in the most recent census data, the region could see big changes in its political landscape.

Sen. Michael Noland, who is the vice chairman on the committee, said the group could still add a hearing in a suburban location, but it would be impossible to meet with every community. That’s why, the Elgin Democrat said, the redistricting process is an ongoing discussion everyone should engage in.

“This is public discourse, it’s ongoing and never ending. All of us are available to the public to talk about this matter,” Noland said. “I’m not sure that whether we had five or 50 hearings that we would ever dispel all of the concerns.”

But Sen. Dan Duffy said it could be too late for the public to make a difference, as the pen has already been placed in the hands of legislative leadership.

The Lake Barrington Republican said the suburban snub for a public hearing shows lawmakers are not looking at the actual population trends and instead are playing politics.

“The suburbs have the largest increase in population and the fact that is not even on the schedule right now just again goes to shows it’s business as usual,” Duffy said. “The agendas of a few people in Springfield are going to set the districts and plans for the next 10 years and that’s discouraging.”

Sen. Don Harmon, an Oak Park Democrat, said the committee plans to approach the hearings with open minds and said the eventual political map can still be influenced by public feedback.

“I don’t think we have any preconceived notion of what the legislative map will look like,” Harmon said. “I don’t believe there has been anything approaching this level of community engagement and transparency... We have really attempted to be as open and as inclusive as possible.”

Citizens looking to contact the committee about redistricting can go to www.ilsenateredistricting.com/.

The suburbs could get more attention when the House begins its public hearings. While no committee has been formed, the House also will have to hold a minimum of four public hearings expected to start in April, said Steve Brown, spokesman for House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Rep. Mike Fortner, a West Chicago Republican, said he hopes the House goes to the suburbs, the St. Louis area and downstate locations that the Senate may not get to. And while he supports the hearings, he said he hopes there will be more than four and that the committee will hold meetings with the public after the map has been proposed.

“There should be some number of hearings with sufficient time for the public to comment on the proposed map that the legislature will vote on,” he said. “This is unique in that we one party controlling the entire process during the legislative session, so I’m interested to see where it goes.”