A divided Illinois Supreme Court is sticking by its decision on redistricting. An organization called Independent Maps wants voters to change the Illinois Constitution so a commission would draw district boundaries, rather than legislators themselves.
Several weeks ago, a 4-to-3 court held that the proposal went outside the narrow bounds of how citizens can initiate a constitutional amendment. The same four-justice, Democratic majority has now turned down a request to rehear the case.
Governor Bruce Rauner says the legislature should take up the mantle.
"Whether people are Democrats or Republicans doesn’t matter, this is about reform, it's about changing the system versus the status quo."
It's thought that Republicans would benefit if Illinois changes how districts are drawn. The three Supreme Court justices elected as Republicans dissented in the original decision, and again today on the question of rehearing the case.
The majority ruled that the Independent Maps proposal would have improperly given the state's Auditor General a role in the mapmaking process. Many GOP legislators have called on the current auditor general, former Democratic Representative Frank Mautino, to resign as he faces questions about campaign expenses.
