Republicans sue over Illinois congressional districts

By Rick Pearson

Republican congressmen and a GOP-backed group filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the redrawing of the state’s congressional boundaries by Democrats in Springfield, alleging the new map “blatantly discriminates against Latino and Republican voters.”

The lawsuit was filed by the Committee for a Fair and Balanced Map, a group composed of former Republican congressman, and joined by all but one of the state’s current Republican delegation in Washington. It alleges the new map, aimed at reversing GOP gains in last year’s mid-term elections, denies Latino voters adequate representation, lacks compactness in the new districts and doesn’t protect communities of interest.