Hooker v. Ill. State Bd. of Elections

• Decision Date: 12 September 2016
• Docket Number: No. 121077.,121077.
• Citation: Hooker v. Ill. State Bd. of Elections, 63 N.E.3d 824, 407 Ill.Dec. 392 (Ill. 2016)
• Parties: John HOOKER et al., Appellees, v. ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS et al. (Support Independent Maps, Appellant).
• Court: Illinois Supreme Court

63 N.E.3d 824

407 Ill.Dec. 392

John HOOKER et al., Appellees,

v.ILLINOIS STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONS et al. (Support Independent Maps, Appellant).

No. 121077.

Supreme Court of Illinois.

Sept. 12, 2016.

Michele Odorizzi, John A. Janicik, Lori E. Lightfoot, and Chad M. Clamage, all of Mayer Brown LLP, of Chicago, for appellant.

Robert T. Shannon and Adam R. Vaught, both of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP, and Richard J. Prendergast and Michael T. Layden, both of Richard J. Prendergast, Ltd., and Michael J. Kasper, of Chicago, and Eric M. Madiar, of Springfield, for appellees.

Constantine L. Trela, Jr., Tacy F. Flint, and Neil H. Conrad, all of Sidley Austin LLP, of Chicago, for amici curiae League of Women Voters of Illinois et al.

Ruth Greenwood and Annabelle Harless, both of Campaign Legal Center, of Chicago, for amici curiae Illinois Public Interest Research Group et al.

OPINION

Justice KILBRIDEdelivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

¶ 1This case addresses the question of whether the circuit court erroneously held that the redistricting initiative petition submitted by Support Independent Maps (Independent Maps) failed to comply with the requirements of article XIV, section 3, of our constitution(Ill Const. 1970, art. XIV, § 3 ), thus precluding its inclusion on the ballot at the November 8, 2016, Illinois general election.On the grounds that the public interest requires a timely resolution of this matter, we granted Independent Maps' emergency motion to transfer the appeal from the appellate court.SeeIll.S. Ct. Rule 302(b)(eff. Oct. 4, 2011).This court ordered expedited briefing that has now been completed.We also granted a group of business, consumer, and public interest organizations led by the League of Women Voters leave to file an amicus curiae brief in support of Independent Maps pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 345(Ill. S. Ct. Rule 345, eff.Sept. 20, 2010).Reviewing the merits of the appeal before us, we now affirm the judgment of the circuit court.

¶ 2 I. BACKGROUND

¶ 3 The Illinois Constitution of 1970 may be amended by three methods: (1) constitutional convention ( Ill. Const. 1970, art. XIV, § 1 ); (2)“[a]mendments by General Assembly”(Ill. Const. 1970, art. XIV, § 2 ); and (3) ballot initiatives (Ill. Const. 1970, art. XIV, § 3 ).Ballot initiatives, the method at issue here, may only be used for amendments directed at “structural and procedural subjects contained in Article IV” of the constitution(Ill. Const. 1970, art. XIV, § 3;Ill. Const. 1970, art. IV), pertaining to Illinois's legislative branch.The ballot initiative at issue addresses redistricting, the process used to redraw the legislative and representative districts following each federal decennial census (Ill. Const. 1970, art. IV, § 3 ).

¶ 4 In May 2016, Independent Maps filed with the Secretary of State a petition proposing the amendment of article IV, section 3, of the constitution, to replace the current system for redrawing Illinois's legislative and representative districts.That section currently provides:

“(a) Legislative Districts shall be compact, contiguous and substantially equal in population.Representative Districts shall be compact, contiguous, and substantially equal in population.

(b) In the year following each Federal decennial census year, the General Assembly by law shall redistrict the Legislative Districts and the Representative Districts.

If no redistricting plan becomes effective by June 30 of that year, a Legislative Redistricting Commission shall be constituted not later than July 10.The Commission shall consist of eight members, no more than four of whom shall be members of the same political party.

The Speaker and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives shall each appoint to the Commission one Representative and one person who is not a member of the General Assembly.The President and Minority Leader of the Senate shall each appoint to the Commission one Senator and one person who is not a member of the General Assembly.

The members shall be certified to the Secretary of State by the appointing authorities.A vacancy on the Commission shall be filled within five days by the authority that made the original appointment.A Chairman and Vice Chairman shall be chosen by a majority of all members of the Commission.

Not later than August 10, the Commission shall file with the Secretary of State a redistricting plan approved by at least five members.

If the Commission fails to file an approved redistricting plan, the Supreme Court shall submit the names of two persons, not of the same political party, to the Secretary of State not later than September 1.

Not later than September 5, the Secretary of State publicly shall draw by random selection the name of one of the two persons to serve as the ninth member of the Commission.

Not later than October 5, the Commission shall file with the Secretary of State a redistricting plan approved by at least five members.

An approved redistricting plan filed with the Secretary of State shall be presumed valid, shall have the force and effect of law and shall be published promptly by the Secretary of State.

The Supreme Court shall have original and exclusive jurisdiction over actions concerning redistricting the House and Senate, which shall be initiated in the name of the People of the State by the Attorney General.”Ill. Const. 1970, art. IV, § 3.

¶ 5 Since the adoption of the 1970Constitution, the General Assembly has agreed on a districting plan without resort to the backup provisions only once, after the most recent federal census.Pub. Act 97–6 (eff. June 3, 2011).Following each of the other four decennial censuses, the formation of a redistricting commission has been necessary.People ex rel. Scott v. Grivetti,50 Ill.2d 156, 277 N.E.2d 881(1971);Schrage v. State Board of Elections,88 Ill.2d 87, 58 Ill.Dec. 451, 430 N.E.2d 483(1981);People ex rel. Burris v. Ryan,147 Ill.2d 270, 167 Ill.Dec. 893, 588 N.E.2d 1023(1992);Cole–Randazzo v. Ryan,198 Ill.2d 233, 260 Ill.Dec. 826, 762 N.E.2d 485(2001);Beaubien v. Ryan,198 Ill.2d 294, 260 Ill.Dec. 842, 762 N.E.2d 501(2001).¹In three out of those four occasions, the commission has deadlocked, triggering the selection of an additional member to break the tie through the drawing of lots.SeeSchrage,88 Ill.2d at 92, 58 Ill.Dec. 451, 430 N.E.2d 483;Burris,147 Ill.2d at 277, 167 Ill.Dec. 893, 588 N.E.2d 1023(1991);Beaubien,198 Ill.2d at 299, 260 Ill.Dec. 842, 762 N.E.2d 501.While that process has been criticized, it has withstood federal constitutional challenge in the federal courts(Winters v. Illinois State Board of Elections,197 F.Supp.2d 1110(2001), aff'd,535 U.S. 967, 122 S.Ct. 1433, ––– L.Ed.2d ––––(2002) ).

¶ 6 To replace the current system, Independent Maps' proposed amendment to article IV, section 3, would substitute an entirely new section 3 that fundamentally restructures the redistricting process.The General Assembly's role would be eliminated from the process, with primary responsibility for drawing legislative and representative districts falling to a new “Independent Redistricting Commission.”Commission members would be selected through a process involving limited legislative input.Specifically, the provision proposed by Independent Maps provides:

“(a) The Independent Redistricting Commission comprising 11 Commissioners shall adopt and file with the Secretary of State a redistricting plan for Legislative Districts and Representative Districts by June 30 of the year following each Federal decennial census.Legislative Districts shall be contiguous and substantially equal in population.Representative Districts shall be contiguous and substantially equal in population.The redistricting plan shall comply with Federal law.Subject to the foregoing, the Commission shall apply the following criteria: (1) the redistricting plan shall not dilute or diminish the ability of a racial or language minority community to elect the candidates of its choice, including when voting in concert with other persons; (2) the redistricting plan shall respect the geographic integrity of units of local government; and (3) the redistricting plan shall respect the geographic integrity of communities sharing common social and economic interests, which do not include relationships with political parties or candidates for office.The redistricting plan shall not either intentionally or unduly discriminate against or intentionally or unduly favor any political party, political group or particular person.In designing the redistricting plan, the Commission shall consider party registration and voting history data only to assess compliance with the requirements in this subsection (a).

(b) For the purpose of conducting the Commissioner selection process, an Applicant Review Panel comprising three Reviewers shall be chosen in the following manner.Beginning not later than January 1 and ending not later than March 1 of the year in which the Federal decennial census occurs, the Auditor General shall request and accept applications to serve as a Reviewer.The Auditor General shall review all applications and select a pool of 30 potential Reviewers.The Auditor General should select applicants for the pool of potential Reviewers who would operate in an ethical and non-partisan manner by considering whether each applicant is a resident and registered voter of the State and has been for the four years preceding his or her application, has demonstrated understanding of and adherence to standards of ethical conduct and has been unaffiliated with any political party for the three years preceding appointment.By March 31 of the year in which the Federal decennial census occurs, the Auditor General shall publicly select by random draw the Panel of three Reviewers from the pool of potential Reviewers.

(c) Beginning not later than January 1 and ending not later than March 1 of the year in which the Federal decennial census

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