SCOTUS dodges gerrymandering question, so it's up to Illinois voters

Democrats were upset with Republican legislative district maps in Wisconsin. Republicans were upset with Democrats' maps in Maryland.

The U.S. Supreme Court had a perfect chance to slay the gerrymander, but they must have left their swords and armor at home on Monday. They sidestepped any big decisions with opinions that created no change.

There is a Texas case they might use as a vehicle to stop partisan gerrymandering late this summer. Or not. And there's a North Carolina case they are expected to hear next year.

We could hope for action by the lesser heroes of Springfield. So far Beastmaster Madigan has thwarted efforts to create an independent commission to draw political maps.

Or, we could save ourselves.

“While people across the nation, regardless of political ideology, increasingly see gerrymandering as stain on our democracy, entrenched political powers will not surrender easily," said John Sirek, interim executive director of CHANGE Illinois. "But the tide of change is clearly growing. Our work will continue and ultimately the voice of Illinois voters will be heard.”

It takes a lot of drops of water to create a tide, plus they all need to move in the same direction.

Between now and Nov. 6, ask those asking for your vote whether they with work for redistricting reform. Don't send them to Springfield unless they are on the right side of this issue.

Politicians can pledge to make legislative maps with compact districts that keep communities of voters together. They can be true to a process in which voters pick their politicians, instead of the other way around.

Voters can also get behind the effort to seek an amendment to the Illinois Constitution creating that independent map commission. If the amendment gets on the 2020 ballot, then the commission will be in place before the 2020 Census upon which the new Illinois congressional and state legislative maps will be drawn in 2021.

Or voters can decide they are happy with few decisions on their ballots and accept things as they are.

This story was originally published June 20, 2018 at 4:32 PM with the headline "SCOTUS dodges gerrymandering question, so it's up to Illinois voters."