Prairie State Wire

State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) argues the numbers speak for themselves in terms of their needing to be greater Latino representation in state government.

“The Latino population in Illinois is actually higher than the African American population, but that is not represented in the Illinois General Assembly,” Butler said during a recent press conference on the subject posted to YouTube.

In addition, WCIA News reports while Hispanic voters make up more than 11% of the state’s voting- age population, elected Latino representatives make up just 7% of the state legislature and only one of the state’s 18 members of Congress.

Republican lawmakers are using the ongoing once-every-decade moment of redistricting to call for what they call a fairer process.

For a growing number of Republican lawmakers that’s come to mean a push for the People’s Independent Maps Act, which would completely remove politicians from the business of map redistricting and instead grant the state Supreme Court the power to appoint 16 independent citizens to a redistricting commission within 30 days of passage.

As it is, the party with the legislative majority controls the redistricting process. In Illinois, that would be Democrats, who control the House, Senate and the Governor’s Office.

Co-sponsored by at least 15 Republican lawmakers, Senate Bill 1325 was introduced by Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington).