Illinois GOP leaders sue over Dems’ new district map: ‘They should be ashamed’

By Dave McKinney

The General Assembly’s top two Republicans filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking to undo the set of House and Senate boundaries that Gov. Pat Quinn approved that could give Democrats a decade-long legislative stranglehold.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross (R-Oswego) and Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno (R-Lemont) allege in the lawsuit that the Democratic map violates the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 by depriving black and Latino voters a “fair opportunity” to have their voices heard in the redistricting process.

They contend that the map violated the state Constitution because too little time for public and legislative review was set aside by ruling Democrats and because districts are not compact as the Illinois Constitution dictates.

They also say that the map violates the First Amendment rights of GOP voters because it “dilutes” their voting power.