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Public Hearings Set for Redistricting Process
(IRN)-The first of at least five hearings on legislative redistricting takes place Monday.

The hearings are required by law to allow public input as districts for state lawmakers and members of Congress are re-drawn.

State Senator Kwame Raoul (D-Chicago), who's the chairman of the Senate Redistricting Committee, says he doesn't expect to see the kind of incumbent protection map that members of Congress agreed on for themselves a decade ago. That deal was brokered by then-U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert and Illinois' senior Democrat at the time, then-Representative William Lipinski.

"I certainly will object strenuously to any such deal," Raoul said. "I think the state legislature is charged with the responsibility of responsibly drawing both the legislative and the congressional maps, and I think that's what should happen, and the indications that I've got is that that is what will happen this time around."

Today's hearing is in Chicago. Others are planned for Springfield (April 6), Kankakee (April 16), Peoria (April 16) and Cicero (April 19). The law requires at least five hearings, but Raoul says more may be added in other parts if the state.

The process is supposed to be wrapped up by May 31.

(Source: Illinois Radio Network)
03 28 11 by Newsroom
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