High Court rejects GOP challenge to redistricting

CHICAGO -- The Democratic majority on the Illinois Supreme Court rejected several challenges Thursday to a state legislative map drawn by Democrats, narrowing the legal options for Republicans who call the new map unfair.

The court split 5-2 along party lines last month in upholding the new district boundaries. Thursday's decision, again reached along party lines, applies to all challenges to the map that remained before the court.

"It really wasn't a surprise," said Gregg Durham, a spokesman for state Republican Party Chairman Lee Daniels, who also is the House minority leader. "They clearly showed that they were going to decide on a partisan basis only."Durham said Republicans believe their case has a better chance in U.S. District Court. A federal trial is set to begin Jan. 14 in Chicago.

Districts for all 177 Illinois lawmakers must be redrawn every 10 years to reflect population changes. Because the General Assembly did not agree on a map before it adjourned this spring, a special commission of four Democrats and four Republicans was appointed to redraw the boundaries.

GOP calls map unfair

That commission also could not agree on a map, so a tie-breaking member was chosen by lottery. Democrats won the lottery and drew the map the commission ultimately approved.

Republicans say that map is unfair and could leave them in the minority in the House and Senate for the next decade.

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the map met the constitutional requirements for having compact districts of about equal population that do not dilute the voting strength of minorities.

Chief Justice Moses Harrison II wrote for the majority that the constitution gives the Legislature, not the courts, the ultimate say over redistricting. He said the courts must decide only whether a map meets all the constitutional requirements of fairness, which this map did.

The two Republicans on the court, Justices Rita Garman and Bob Thomas, dissented. They argued that the districts were not compact enough and that the Democrat-controlled commission steamrolled its map through with little chance for public response.

"The map that was approved in this case was presented in the last few days, thereby thwarting any type of hearing that would ensure that constitutional requirements were met," Thomas wrote.

Steve Brown, a spokesman for state Democratic Party Chairman Michael Madigan, said Democrats are confident the map will be upheld. Madigan is also the House speaker.

"The map that was passed met all the constitutional issues that were required to be met," Brown said.