North Cook News

A community organizer at Chicago's HANA Center isn't happy with the how the proposed judicial subcircuit maps were drawn up and what it means for fair representation in smaller communities in Cook County. 

Young Woon Han spoke out against the maps during a Dec. 16 House and Senate Joint Redistricting Committee hearing.

"Judicial subcircuits were established to ensure representation for smaller communities. They have helped to diversify the bench and we hope they continue to do so," Han said. "The proposed subcircuit maps are important municipal, ethnic and religious communities"

Han highlighted Niles Township which he called "an important and inclusive community" that is supported by other areas including Skokie, Lincolnwood, Martingrove, Golf and Glenview. 

"We share a high school district and we share a unique diversity that is best served by staying in a single subcircuit," Han added during the hearing. "While we are made up of dozens of ethnicities and speak many more languages, we are an inclusive community that has fought for representation and voting rights."

Han said that 30% of the Village of Skokie's population is made up of Asian Americans, which he called the fastest growing ethnicity in the entire state.

"We believe that respecting Asian Americans as a community of interest requires keeping these communities together as a single subcircuit," Han said. "We oppose the current map boundaries."

When subcircuits were first introduced in the late 1990s, the goal was to put more minorities on the bench and remove politics from the process, according to Illinois Periodicals Online.

The latest maps outlining Cook County's subcircuits was unveiled by Democratic lawmakers on Dec. 13, 2021, a press release on CapitolFax.com noted. 

The website also pointed out the subcircuits would be increasing by 5 and going from 15 to 20 subcircuits on the proposed map.