SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Illinois redistricting committee members fielded testimonies and comments from certain citizens of the state Tuesday in regards to the newest round of congressional maps that were released this past weekend.
The newly proposed maps split the Quad Cities area into three different districts. Previously nearly the entire area was lumped into just one district, district 17.
If the new maps were to move forward as is, the old district 17 will now split areas included in it into district 15, district 16, and district 17. District 17 will include a large portion of the Quad Cities, stretching up from Rockford, down to include Moline to the west, going as far as Colona to the east. It then stretches down south to St. Augustine before jutting out to the east again to include Peoria and Bloomington.
District 15 will now be home to Geneseo and Kewanee, which were both previously in the 17th district. That district goes all the way over to the Indiana border near Danville before going down south to include Effingham and Robinson, Illinois.
The 16th district includes towns like Andalusia, Viola, and Monmouth following the Mississippi river down on the west side, bordering the south of Peoria and Bloomington before going around Champaign, continuing to stretch down to nearly East St. Louis.
Republican state representative Tom Demmer voiced his opinions on the map at a hearing Tuesday.
"Several of the districts remain so sprawling that it will make interaction between constituents and their members of congress challenging to say the least," says Demmer.
When asked when republicans can expect to see another version of the maps democrat representative Elizabeth Hernandez says it will take time to take the comments and concerns into account before releasing a new version.
"We have to take this back and reflect on this feedback that has been given to us and at that point we will figure out how we can proceed," Hernandez said.
You can view an interactive version of the newest map here.