Status Report-Illinois House of Representatives

Special Committee on Redistricting

The Illinois House of Representatives Special Committee on Redistricting held a public hearing
in Cicero on April 16, 2011. Testimony was provided by a number of groups, the majority of
whom represented interests of the Latino community. Other witnesses represented interests from
local suburbs, conservative Republicans and the Tea Party, the LGBT community and the
African American community. Commissioner Robert Steele represented the interests of the
Cook County 2nd District.

A number of Latino witnesses demanded that the Legislature carve out additional districts where
a Latino could be reasonably expected to be elected. They indicated that the fact that their
community had grown significantly justified new legislative districts. When one of the State
Representatives asked a witness from MALDEF what their ideal number of additional districts
would be, the witness indicated that MALDEF had not yet determined the number. Some
Latino witnesses indicated that the Legislature should take into account the needs of
undocumented residents who have not yet become U.S. citizens when creating new districts.
UNO, a local community based organization, provided a proposal outlining new Latino districts.

A witness representing a local elected official indicated that one of the districts proposed by
UNO would be created by potentially diluting the African American vote in the area and could
possibly lead to lawsuit in Federal court. The witness also indicated that UNO’s proposed
district included errors in the representation of the size of the Latino community. He stated that,
based on the Census numbers that UNO provided to support the proposal, the Latino community
within the proposed area was actually 30% and not 73%. UNO was asked to provide revised
maps, and MALDEF was asked to provide information regarding a targeted number of new
majority Latino districts to be created.

Mr. Richard Barnett, a veteran voting rights activist from North Lawndale, provided testimony
regarding the treatment of prisoners in the State Census. Currently, prisoners are counted in the
Census of the towns in which they are incarcerated, and not from the town from which they
originate. Public funding associated with Census counts go to the prison towns for10 years,
regardless of the length of time served by the prisoners, which is often much less than 10 years.
The prisoners are then released to their home towns with no Census-related funding to support
their re-entry needs, including housing, rehabilitation and job training. Mr. Barnett encouraged
the Legislature to support Representative Ford’s legislation that calls for the Census to include
prisoners’ counts in the towns from which they originate.

Valerie F. Leonard, Co-Founder of the Lawndale Alliance, urged the Legislature not to create
boundaries that would divide the North Lawndale community. The current legislative map
provides for the inclusion of the entire North Lawndale community, as defined by Community
Area 29, in Illinois House Legislative District 9. Keeping the community within one district
would allow its legislator to focus more intently on the community, and allow social service
providers to navigate the state government structure more easily.

Ms. Leonard also expressed concern that the State is losing a Congressional seat. She requested
that the Legislature take into account the fact that the 7th Congressional District, represented by
Congresman Danny K. Davis, is protected by the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Where applicable,
the redistricting process must create districts where the minorities have sufficient population to
elect the candidate of their choice.

The Lawndale Alliance will work with a coalition consisting of the Empowered Citizens of
North Lawndale (ECONL), the Open Door Foundation, the North Lawndale Community News,
Illinois Campaign for Accountable Redistricting (ICAR) to provide a specific proposal for West
Side legislative districts by May 5th. State Representative Arthur Turner, Jr., State
Representative LaShawn Ford and Cook County Commissioner Robert Steele have been
supportive of this non-partisan effort.