Prairie State Wire

The head of the NAACP Illinois State Conference had strong words for lawmakers during a redistricting hearing, reminding them that it is "important that we continue to be part of the process."

Illinois House and Senate legislators are holding redistricting hearings as they tackle the arduous task of remapping legislative districts that likely will change based on population shifts.

"We remind ourselves all the time that people fought, bled and died for us to be here on today to give testimony to let you know that every voice counts," NAACP Illinois State Conference president Teresa Haley said at a recent House hearing.

The organization wants to have more minority voices included in the conversation. Illinois has a diverse population, with blacks and Hispanics accounting for 14.6% and 17.5%, respectively.

"We're about to lose congressional seats," Haley said, referring to the state's dwindling population. "We can't afford to lose any seats throughout Illinois, and especially downstate in Central Illinois. It is important that we continue to be a part of the process, to have a strong voice."

Though Haley represented minority voices and outlined the need for greater inclusion, lack of public participation has been a concern during the redistricting hearings.

Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) has pointed out low public participation numbers at meetings, linking part of the issue to the number of days between notification and a meeting.

"Witness after witness has been critical of the lack of transparency in this process," Rezin said, the Will County Gazette previously reported. "That includes requests for more robust public engagement, more notice of hearings and for answers on how the public can draw their maps and what data we should be using."

Redistricting is necessary after each decennial census to adjust for population changes within district boundaries for the Illinois House and Senate.

This year, however, census officials have told state legislatures that the demographic data used to create new district maps will not be available by a June 30 deadline, meaning states will have to use alternative data or slow down their process.