Monday, May 7th is the deadline for the Fair Maps Amendment to pass the Illinois General Assembly in order to appear on the November 2018 ballot. Article XIV of the Illinois constitution requires a minimum six-month window between when the amendment is approved by three-fifths of both chambers and the next general election.

On behalf of the Illinois Redistricting Collaborative and all the organizations that endorsed the Fair Maps Amendment (HJRCA43/SJRCA26), CHANGE Illinois issued the following statement:

For our coalition, the fight for fair maps has been a long game, building up public and legislative support through the 2021 redistricting process. We certainly hoped to get the Fair Maps Amendment passed out of the General Assembly and onto the 2018 ballot and while it’s fallen short this time around, we’re proud of what we achieved. As a result of our work, the gubernatorial candidates from both parties not only voiced support for independent maps, they also went on the record and pledged to veto any gerrymandered map in office. The Fair Maps Amendment received bipartisan support in both chambers, gaining 28 cosponsors in the Illinois House and the support of two-thirds of the Illinois Senate. 

For the remainder of the year, our coalition will be focusing on public education around the 2018 election and holding the winners’ feet to the fire. Redistricting reform isn’t an issue that’s going away. Our work in 2018 will serve as a critical starting point for next year’s push. We can only build up from here.