Democrats Attack Republican Redistricting Case in Illinois Supreme Court

Democrats are telling the Illinois Supreme Court that Republican attempts to toss the legislative map are too little, too late. In documents made public Thursday, the Democrats say the case was filed too close to next month’s primary election. Brian Mackey has more:

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When a party thinks it’s getting the short end of the stick on a new legislative map, it usually doesn’t waste any time asking the Illinois Supreme Court for help.

There have only been five new maps since 1970, so it’s a small sample size. But most of those cases were filed within two weeks of the new maps becoming law.

Republican Party leaders were unsuccessful in a federal case filed last year. And they waited until this month — just six weeks before the primaries — to ask for help from the Illinois Supreme Court.

The case was filed by Rep. Tom Cross and Sen. Christine Radogno, the Republican minority leaders in the House and Senate. They say the new borders unfairly help Democrats. And they say some of the districts have such “bizarre” shapes they violate the Illinois Constitution.

Democratic lawyers say none of that trumps the case’s “inexcusable tardiness.”

A chart from the Democrats’ brief. They say past redistricting lawsuits were filed much more quickly after becoming law.

“This lawsuit should have been filed last summer, if at all,” the Democrats’ court filing says. “The leaders slept on their rights — or hid in the weeds — for over eight months.”

Democrats say local governments have already spent millions of dollars preparing for the election. Candidates have been campaigning in new districts for months. And absentee voters could already be casting ballots.

“In a very real sense, the March 20 primary has already begun,” the Democrats say.

In a written statement, Republicans say they’re aware of the “hardship” caused by the timing of the case. They say the Supreme Court could change the map for the 2014 elections.

“We strongly disagree with the respondents’ unsubstantiated claim that fixing the constitutional problems of this map for the 2014 election would require the expenditure of millions of dollars,” the Republicans say.

— Brian Mackey

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Cross v. ISBE, No. 113840
• Republican motion to file complaint, brief [pdf - 1.1 MB]
• Republican complaint [pdf - 2.4 MB]
• Democratic response [pdf - 8.6 MB]

Legislative Maps
• Downstate [pdf - 34.2 MB]
• Chicago and vicinity [pdf - 16 MB]