Mel Thillens, the Republican candidate for state Senate in District 28, recently expressed his disappointment with the Illinois Supreme Court's ruling on the Independent Maps Amendment.
“It’s a shame that entrenched politicians and their insider allies would fight to deny Illinoisans the right to vote for Independent Maps, and I am disappointed in the court’s decision to side with them over the will of the voters," Thillens said.
Mel Thillens
The initiative garnered nearly 600,000 signatures and was approved by the State Elections Board. It was challenged by the People's Map and attorney Mike Kasper. Kasper is the general counsel for the Illinois Democratic Party, which is led by House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago).
The Cook County Circuit Court ruled against the initiative, siding with the People's Map and Kasper's assertions that the amendment was unconstitutional. The circuit court ruling was appealed to the state Supreme Court, which agreed to hear the appeal. The court upheld the previous ruling on a party-line vote, with Democratic judges voting 4-3 against the dissenting Republicans.
The redistricting amendment, which would place the ability to redraw district maps into the hands of an independent commission, will not be on the November ballot.
"As a state senator, I will stand up to the career politicians that run Springfield by supporting independent maps and term limits," Thillens said. "Something is wrong when the vast majority of voters want change -- and our representative government doesn't get it done.”
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