Illinois House Passes Redistricting Amendment to Protect Minority Voting Rights From Federal Changes

House Votes 74-38 on Constitutional Change as Supreme Court Threatens Voting Rights Protections

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that would require redistricting to prioritize minority representation, fearing federal protections will be eliminated.

The House voted 74-38 along party lines to pass a constitutional amendment that creates a priority list of rules state lawmakers must consider when drawing legislative maps. The Senate has until May 3 to vote on putting the measure on the November ballot.

The amendment does not require the governor's signature.

Priority Factors for Map Drawing

The proposed amendment establishes specific factors lawmakers should prioritize when drawing districts. The priority list includes:

• Substantially equal population across all districts
• Ensuring no citizen is denied equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives based on race
• Creating racial coalition or influence districts where practical
• Contiguous districts
• Compact districts to the extent practicable

House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D-Hillside, proposed the amendment in response to fears that the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act that protect minority representation.

"It is undeniable that the U.S Supreme Court is poised to dismantle these protections, and when it does, some states will quickly undertake new gerrymandering schemes aimed at stripping away Black and Latino and other minority representation," Welch said.

Welch's proposal directly incorporates language from the federal law that prohibits denying political participation based on race.

Personal Stories From the Floor

State Rep. Theresa Mah, D-Chicago and the first Asian American lawmaker in Illinois history, testified in favor of the amendment. She credited the state's 2011 redistricting efforts with consolidating Chicago's Asian population into one district.

"Prior to our redistricting efforts in 2011, the greater Chinatown community in my district was fragmented into four state House districts, three state Senate districts, three congressional districts and five city wards," Mah said. "Until then, an entire community's power was nearly nonexistent and its voice unheard."

Mah was first elected in part because of the state's conscious effort to draw a district that consolidated Chicago's Asian population, according to reports.

Republican Opposition

Republicans argued the amendment is unnecessary and would promote further gerrymandering. They claimed Democrats are using the amendment to increase their majority in the General Assembly.

Rep. Dan Ugaste, R-Geneva, said there is no need to change the constitution.

"There is no need to change this constitution, other than to promote further gerrymandering of the maps to where it's the elected officials picking who their voters are, and not the voters selecting their elected officials," Ugaste said.

Rep. Adam Niemerg, R-Dieterich, argued that current maps already disenfranchise many voters.

"There's many folks that were here … who don't represent their hometowns, don't represent their family, don't represent their friends that they've known their entire lives," Niemerg said. "That's disenfranchisement. I have family that can't vote for me because they live a mile away."

Rep. Ryan Spain, R-Peoria, agreed with Welch that diversity is important but argued lawmakers should also consider political diversity.

He called the amendment "the embodiment of the corruption of absolute power."

2021 Redistricting and Governor's Promise

In 2021, supermajority Democrats locked in their advantage by approving favorable lines during redistricting. Governor JB Pritzker promised during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign that he would veto partisanly drawn maps, but he signed them into law.

Pritzker argued the maps aligned with the Voting Rights Act and would "ensure Illinois' diversity is reflected in the halls of government," according to reports.

The amendment would keep redistricting responsibility in the hands of the legislature. Republicans have called for an independent redistricting commission instead.

The Lawsuit Context

Republicans filed a lawsuit last year seeking to overturn the state's legislative maps. They alleged dozens of districts failed to meet a decades-old Illinois Supreme Court precedent that defined appropriately compact maps. The Illinois Supreme Court ultimately dismissed the case because it was filed too late.

Millionaire Tax Uncertain

Meanwhile, the status of a separate amendment that would enact a 3% surcharge on income over $1 million remains uncertain as of Thursday afternoon.

Under Illinois' constitution, all personal income is taxed at a flat 4.95% rate. The proposed amendment would require millionaires and businesses to pay an additional 3% on income that surpasses $1 million.

Like the redistricting measure, the millionaire tax amendment would go to voters and would not need the governor's signature.

Voters rejected a broader amendment in 2020 to establish a graduated income tax structure in the state. The move was a heavy blow for Pritzker, who spent more than $50 million campaigning for the tax.

This year, the governor has taken a hands-off approach, saying he still supports the concept but that it wasn't a top priority. He's instead left it up to the legislature.

Economic Impact Estimates

Welch has been working to build support for the millionaire tax amendment since early this year. Progressive lawmakers and powerful interest groups like the Illinois Federation of Teachers have lent their support.

A study published by researchers at the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign last month found that a 3% surcharge on income over $1 million would generate $3.8 billion in its first full year and $4.2 billion by 2030. The researchers labeled these revenue estimates as "conservative."

The nonpartisan Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability pegged the number at $2.1 billion annually but cautioned that it could fluctuate greatly by year.

Timeline

The House approved the redistricting amendment on Tuesday, April 22, 2026. The Senate has until May 3 to vote on placing the measure on the November ballot.

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Sources:

• https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/house-approves-redistricting-amendment-fearing-federal-voting-rights-act-will-be-eliminated/
• https://www.wsiu.org/state-of-illinois/2026-04-22/house-approves-redistricting-amendment-fearing-federal-voting-rights-act-will-be-eliminated
• https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_e297d104-1d6f-4c11-b617-7dcfbdb3284e.html
• https://www.vandaliaradio.com/2026/04/22/illinois-republicans-say-dems-redistricting-amendment-would-create-more-corrupt-maps/
• https://www.wandtv.com/news/statehouse/il-house-gop-blast-welchs-redistricting-constitutional-amendment-effort/article_c9864556-b4d1-4ed7-9b65-d4809f264d41.html