Carbondale Reporter

Veteran state Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) wants to see the map redistricting process done fairly.

Since being installed as Republican spokesperson for the House Redistricting Committee, Butler has taken on a more vocal role on the redistricting front.  The committee is tasked with redrawing district boundaries for the state’s 59 state senators and 118 state representatives in the Illinois House.

“Since I joined the General Assembly, I have been an outspoken advocate for reform to our redistricting process to end partisan gerrymandering,” Butler said during a House Redistricting Committee hearing in Carbondale. “I firmly believe the best way to do that is through the creation of an independent commission. Serving as spokesperson of the House Redistricting Committee provides an opportunity to advance that advocacy and lead discussions around the state for a more fair and non-partisan process. I thank Leader (Jim) Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) for selecting me for this important role.”

With the House and Senate Redistricting Committees holding public hearings across the state leading up to the June 30 deadline for a redistricting proposal, Butler is proposing legislation aimed at creating an independent commission for the job.

The current process has long been criticized because it places more power in the hands of the majority party to draw district boundaries that could easily favor their political tilt. If the committee is unable to propose new district boundaries that stand up to constitutional muster by the June 30 deadline, it goes to a new committee and a possible Supreme Court review.

With the government having recently revealed that data typically supplied by the U.S. Census Bureau as part of the map redrawing process will be delayed, the system has come under even greater scrutiny and criticism this term.