Quincy Reporter

With the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision ruling out federal oversight in gerrymandering cases, Illinois Senate Republicans are again pursing a state constitutional amendment to allow voters to decide the issue, a 47th District Senator said in statement issued earlier today.

"Let the people decide!" Illinois State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) said in the statement posted on her Senate website.

In late June, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a split 5-4 decision that redistricting is a political question that cannot be reviewed by federal courts, which also cannot determine whether even extreme gerrymandering is unconstitutional.

"The recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court leaving redistricting to state legislatures shows that it is time for the Illinois General Assembly to vote on Senate Joint Resolution-Constitutional Amendment 4 (SJRCA 4)," Tracy said in her announcement. "With 37 sponsors (enough to pass the measure), this bipartisan measure would give residents the opportunity to amend our Illinois Constitution and create a new, non-partisan system for drawing legislative boundary maps."

Tracy has represented the 47th Illinois state Senate District since she was elected to the seat in 2016, having previous served as Mount Sterling city attorney.

The 47th District includes all or parts of Adams, Brown, Cass, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Schuyler and Warren counties.