(The Center Square) – An Illinois lawmaker pushing to change how legislative districts are drawn faces a political hurdle: persuading lawmakers who benefit from the current system to give up some control over the process.
State Rep. Travis Weaver, R-Edwards, is seeking a constitutional amendment that would establish new rules for redistricting, arguing the current maps leave some voters underrepresented.
The proposal comes after Democrats expanded their supermajorities in both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly in the Nov. 3 election.
Before the Nov. 3 election, Democrats held a 78-40 majority in the Illinois House and a 40-19 majority in the Senate. Preliminary results following the election show Democrats expanding those advantages to 82-32 in the House and 45-13 in the Senate, with several races still unresolved. Weaver explained the results leave Republicans with even less representation in the General Assembly and raise questions about whether the Democratic supermajorities would support changes that could limit their party’s influence over the redistricting process.
“In a typical election, Illinois is a 45 to 55 Democrat state,” Weaver told The Center Square. “So it just highlights that voters and constituents in the state of Illinois are extremely disenfranchised.”
Weaver criticized the shape of Illinois’ legislative districts, saying boundaries often divide neighborhoods and counties.
“They jig and they jag and they run and they don’t keep neighborhoods together. They don’t keep counties together,” Weaver said.
In April, House Democrats advanced a separate constitutional amendment, HJRCA 28, that would prioritize racial representation requirements when drawing legislative districts.
House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, defended the proposal by pointing to concerns that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling could weaken protections for minority voters under the federal Voting Rights Act, according to news reports.
Republicans challenged that argument. Republican lawmakers opposing HJRCA 28 argued that its provisions could give Democrats additional flexibility when drawing district boundaries rather than address partisan gerrymandering.
Weaver referenced a lawsuit Republicans brought challenging Democratic-drawn legislative maps. Weaver said Republicans used data to argue that voters were moved out of competitive districts and concentrated into districts that were already heavily Republican or Democratic.
Weaver said the current political makeup of the General Assembly can affect how individual lawmakers approach legislation. He pointed to moderate Democrats who might want to oppose certain tax increases but could feel their votes would not change the outcome because their party has enough votes to pass legislation without them.
“The more that we can narrow that gap, the more that we’re going to reflect the makeup of the people of Illinois,” Weaver said.
But changing the process would require support from lawmakers in the party that currently holds the majority.
Asked why Democrats would voluntarily give up control over redistricting, Weaver said some members of the party have also expressed frustration with their own district boundaries.
He described a recent conversation with a Democratic member of Congress who complained that her district was not compact and extended into multiple neighborhoods.
“I think it’s definitely an instance where we would need to see people put what is right ahead of what is expedient,” Weaver said. “I know it’s a lot to ask in politics, but that’s the ask that I have on the table.”
Weaver said he has legislation filed that would put a constitutional amendment before voters. He argues the rules should be placed in the state constitution so future lawmakers cannot easily change them.
“Once you get a constitutional amendment, it’s locked in,” Weaver said.
Illinois public policy and government reform advocate Brian Costin says reforming the state’s redistricting process will require more than appeals to fairness, arguing lawmakers must face enough public pressure to voluntarily surrender their mapmaking authority.
Costin says Republicans should build unified support for reviving HJRCA 41, secure public pledges from candidates to support independent maps regardless of which party benefits, and publish model legislative maps for voters to compare.
He argues a constitutional amendment would provide lasting protections but says separating state legislative redistricting reform from the national battle over congressional maps could create an opportunity for bipartisan support.
Costin says both parties should be held accountable by committing to the same redistricting rules before either has the power to draw district boundaries.
Under Article XIV of the Illinois Constitution, a proposed amendment must receive approval from three-fifths of the members elected to both the House and Senate before going to voters. Voters must then approve it by either three-fifths of those voting on the question or a majority of all ballots cast in the election.
Weaver said his proposal would emphasize transparency, including allowing the public to see the software used to draw maps and the instructions guiding that software.
Critics of independent redistricting commissions argue that transferring mapmaking authority does not necessarily eliminate political influence and could create accountability concerns.
For voters who believe their legislative districts are predetermined and their votes have little impact, Weaver said their concerns are justified.
“I’d say they’re spot on,” Weaver said. “That’s what we’re working to change.”
