By Greg Bishop/Illinois Radio Network
SPRINGFIELD – The citizen initiative to remove politicians from the legislative map-making process gets a court hearing this week.
The Independent Map Coalition collected more than 500,000 signatures to get this initiative onto the November ballot for the voters to decide.
The group People’s Map, whose attorney also represents House Speaker Michael Madigan, filed suit to block it, said the initiative is unconstitutional. A hearing is set for July 1..
Independent Map Coalition spokesman Jim Bray said citizens had to do what the state’s politicians wouldn’t.
“This is not the kind of reform the legislators are ever going to do themselves so it’s citizens that had to collect the petition signatures,” Bray said.
Bray said the Independent Map Coalition lawyers took notes from previous unsuccessful attempts.
“They have a prior decision out of the circuit court two years ago that found some flaws with the previously written amendment and they’ve redrafted the amendment and they believe it will pass constitutional muster,” Bray said.
Bray said the June 30 hearing in Chicago won’t be for all the marbles.
“Whoever loses on June 30 will try to take this through on appellate court or direct to the Illinois state supreme court and eventually this summer the state supreme court will have to decide whether the amendment is allowed on the ballot or not,” Bray said.
Bray said the courts recognize the late August deadline to get the measure certified by the elections board for the November ballot.
