SPRINGFIELD – Tuesday, the Illinois Supreme Court denied a motion to rehear their decision denying voters the opportunity to vote on a redistricting referendum in November.
“Today’s court decision is very disappointing, but not unexpected," Governor Bruce Rauner said. "Now that the courts have denied Illinoisans the right to vote on a redistricting referendum in November for the last time, it is up to the General Assembly to address political reform – term limits and independent redistricting – as soon as they reconvene this fall.”
And the likelihood of that happening is null – as House Speaker Mike Madigan was behind the court challenge and has been opposing the effort all along. Still, the Illinois Republican Party called on Democrat lawmakers to support the effort.
“The court again sided with the political machine against the people of Illinois who overwhelmingly support redistricting reform. Now is the time for Democrats to show their independence from Mike Madigan and pledge to allow a vote on the Independent Map Amendment during the veto session this fall," Illinois Republican Party Spokesman Steven Yaffe said in a statement.
In the first decision, the Court's four Democrats opposed the referendum and the three Republicans supported the remap referendum.
