Rockford Sun

A member within the Coalition of Latino Leaders organization wants community members who are Hispanic/Latino to have more sway when legislative maps are redrawn. 

Armando Cardenas presented his opinion at a House Redistricting Committee earlier this month. 

"I would like to recommend your committee consider the establishment of a Hispanic/Latino district in the Rockford area," Cardenas told lawmakers while appearing at a House Redistricting Committee hearing earlier this month. "I'm hoping our local representative will support the idea of a Hispanic/Latino district."

The redistricting process happens every 10 years. It is when lawmakers realign legislative districts based on the latest official population statistics from the census bureau. However, this year the census bureau said the key metric won't be available in time for the June 30 deadline, making the process more political than normal in some respects. 

Republican lawmakers are now pushing for the creation of what they consider to be a fairer and more just system going forward. Many are pointing to the presently proposed People's Independent Maps Act as the answer.

The measure would give the state Supreme Court the power to appoint a 16-member independent commission to head the redistricting process and mainly remove lawmakers from an equation that is typically left in the hands of the party in control. The 16 members would be reflective of the state's population demographics and Republican and Democrats. 

Illinois currently has 118 House and 59 Senate districts, with Democrats presently holding control in both chambers.

Lawmakers have been holding redistricting hearings in various areas throughout Illinois. Redistricting is necessary after each decennial census to adjust for population changes within district boundaries for the Illinois House and Senate.