Illinois State Representative Ryan Spain said on Apr. 22 that a new constitutional amendment filed by Democrats would harm voter representation and make Illinois the “gerrymandering capital of America.” His comments came after the House passed House Joint Resolution Constitutional Amendment 28, which seeks to change how legislative maps are drawn in the state.
The proposed amendment, HJRCA 28, was introduced by Speaker Chris Welch following concerns related to a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, Louisiana v. Callais. The measure aims to rewrite the standard for drawing legislative districts in Illinois by establishing a ranked list of five criteria: population equality, equal opportunity regardless of race, creation of racial coalition or influence districts where practical, contiguity, and compactness as far as practicable.
Currently, legislative maps in Illinois must be compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population. Under Welch’s proposal, compactness would become less prioritized and only required “to the extent practicable.” Spain said this shift would weaken existing standards for district shapes and could lead to unfair political advantages.
House Republicans have raised concerns about these changes and referenced their lawsuit from last year alleging that Democratic-passed maps violated compactness requirements in more than forty percent of House districts across the state. Spain voted against HJRCA 28 both in committee and on the House floor; however, it passed with a vote of 74-38 and now moves to consideration by the State Senate.
Spain said: “Illinois Democrats will stop at nothing to preserve their corrupt political power. This Amendment will disenfranchise voters for decades to come and solidify our state as the gerrymandering capital of America.”
Spain has served as a Republican representative for Illinois’ 73rd District since his election in 2017 after replacing David R. Leitch according to Ballotpedia.
The outcome of this amendment could have lasting effects on how electoral boundaries are set in Illinois if approved by both chambers.
