SB0910 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB100 06086 AWJ 16118 b

100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2017 and 2018
SB0910

Introduced 2/7/2017, by Sen. Melinda Bush

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

55 ILCS 5/2-3001	from Ch. 34, par. 2-3001
55 ILCS 5/2-3003	from Ch. 34, par. 2-3003

Amends the Counties Code. Provides that when a county board creates or modifies the apportionment of districts in the county, each district shall also (i) provide racial minorities or language minorities with equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice; (ii) provide racial minorities or language minorities who constitute less than a voting-age majority of a district with an opportunity to substantially influence the outcome of an election; and (iii) shall not discriminate against or in favor of any political party or individual.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning local government.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Counties Code is amended by changing Sections 2-3001 and 2-3003 as follows:

(55 ILCS 5/2-3001) (from Ch. 34, par. 2-3001)

Sec. 2-3001. Definitions. As used in this Division, unless the context otherwise requires:

a. "District" means a county board district established as provided in this Division.

b. "County apportionment commission" or "commission" means the county clerk, the State's Attorney, the Attorney General or his designated representative and the chairmen of the county central committees of the first leading political party and the second leading political party as defined in Section 1-3 of The Election Code.

c. "Population" means the number of inhabitants as determined by the last preceding federal decennial census.

d. "Member" or "board member" means a person elected to serve on the county board.

e. "Racial minorities or language minorities" has the meaning provided to that term in subsection (c) of Section 5-5 of the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011.

(Source: P.A. 86-962.)

(55 ILCS 5/2-3003) (from Ch. 34, par. 2-3003)

Sec. 2-3003. Apportionment plan.

(1) If the county board determines that members shall be elected by districts, it shall develop an apportionment plan and specify the number of districts and the number of county board members to be elected from each district and whether voters will have cumulative voting rights in multi-member districts. Each such district:

a. Shall be substantially equal in population to each other district;

b. Shall be comprised of contiguous territory, as nearly compact as practicable; and

c. May divide townships or municipalities only when necessary to conform to the population requirement of paragraph a. of this Section; .

d. Shall be created in such a manner so that no precinct shall be divided between 2 or more districts, insofar as is practicable; .

e. Shall provide racial minorities or language minorities with equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect candidates of their choice;

f. Shall provide racial minorities or language minorities who constitute less than a voting-age majority of a district with an opportunity to substantially influence the outcome of an election; and

g. Shall not discriminate against or in favor of any political party or individual.

(2) The county board of each county having a population of less than 3,000,000 inhabitants may, if it should so decide, provide within that county for single member districts outside the corporate limits and multi-member districts within the corporate limits of any municipality with a population in excess of 75,000. Paragraphs a, b, c and d of subsection (1) of this Section shall apply to the apportionment of both single and multi-member districts within a county to the extent that compliance with paragraphs a, b, c and d still permit the establishment of such districts, except that the population of any multi-member district shall be equal to the population of any single member district, times the number of members found within that multi-member district.

(3) In a county where the Chairman of the County Board is elected by the voters of the county as provided in Section 2-3007, the Chairman of the County Board may develop and present to the Board by the third Wednesday in May in the year after a federal decennial census year an apportionment plan in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) of this Section. If the Chairman presents a plan to the Board by the third Wednesday in May, the Board shall conduct at least one public hearing to receive comments and to discuss the apportionment plan, the hearing shall be held at least 6 days but not more than 21 days after the Chairman's plan was presented to the Board, and the public shall be given notice of the hearing at least 6 days in advance. If the Chairman presents a plan by the third Wednesday in May, the Board is prohibited from enacting an apportionment plan until after a hearing on the plan presented by the Chairman. The Chairman shall have access to the federal decennial census available to the Board.

(4) In a county where a County Executive is elected by the voters of the county as provided in Section 2-5007 of the Counties Code, the County Executive may develop and present to the Board by the third Wednesday in May in the year after a federal decennial census year an apportionment plan in accordance with the provisions of subsection (1) of this Section. If the Executive presents a plan to the Board by the third Wednesday in May, the Board shall conduct at least one public hearing to receive comments and to discuss the apportionment plan, the hearing shall be held at least 6 days but not more than 21 days after the Executive's plan was presented to the Board, and the public shall be given notice of the hearing at least 6 days in advance. If the Executive presents a plan by the third Wednesday in May, the Board is prohibited from enacting an apportionment plan until after a hearing on the plan presented by the Executive. The Executive shall have access to the federal decennial census available to the Board.

(Source: P.A. 96-1540, eff. 3-7-11; 97-986, eff. 8-17-12.)