text:
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1 HOUSE RESOLUTION
2     WHEREAS, Under Article IV, Section 3 of the Illinois
3 Constitution of 1970, in the year following each federal
4 decennial census year, the General Assembly by law shall
5 redistrict the Legislative Districts and the Representative
6 Districts; and
7     WHEREAS, In late 2010, the United States Census Bureau
8 released its 2010 population totals for Illinois; and
9     WHEREAS, The Redistricting Transparency and Public
10 Participation Act requires committees of the Senate and House,
11 or a joint committee, to hold public hearings statewide and
12 receive testimony and inform the public on the existing
13 Legislative and Representative Districts; and
14     WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly, in considering
15 redistricting issues over the past two years, conducted over
16 forty hearings throughout the State during that time; and
17     WHEREAS, At those hearings, the Illinois General Assembly
18 heard from experts in the area of redistricting, considered
19 comments from public officials and members of the general
20 public, and received proposals submitted by members of the
21 public and stakeholder groups; and
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1     WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly has drafted a plan
2 for redistricting the Legislative Districts and the
3 Representative Districts (the "2011 General Assembly
4 Redistricting Plan"); therefore, be it
5     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
6 NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
7 in establishing boundaries for Illinois Legislative and
8 Representative Districts ("Districts"), the following
9 redistricting principles were taken into account:
10         (i)  each of the Districts contained in the 2011 General
11     Assembly Redistricting Plan was drawn to be substantially
12     equal in population, so that as nearly as practicable, the
13     total population deviation between Districts in zero;
14         (ii) each of the Districts contained in the 2011
15     General Assembly Redistricting Plan was drawn to be
16     consistent with the United States Constitution;
17         (iii) each of the Districts contained in the 2011
19     consistent with the federal Voting Rights Act, where
20     applicable;
21         (iv) each of the Districts contained in the 2011
22     General Assembly Redistricting Plan was drawn to be compact
23     and contiguous, as required by the Illinois Constitution;
24         (v) each of the Districts contained in the 2011 General
1     Assembly Redistricting Plan was drawn to be consistent with
2     the Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2011, where applicable;
3     and
4         (vi) each of the Districts contained in the 2011
5     General Assembly Redistricting Plan was drawn taking into
6     account the partisan composition of the District and of the
7     Plan itself; and be it further
8     RESOLVED, That in addition to the foregoing redistricting
9 principles, each of the Districts contained in the 2011 General
10 Assembly Redistricting Plan was drawn to reflect a balance of
11 the following redistricting principles: the preservation of
12 the core or boundaries of the existing Districts; the
13 preservation of communities of interest; respect for county,
14 township, municipal, ward, and other political subdivision
15 boundaries; the maintenance of incumbent-constituent
16 relationships and tracking of population migration; proposals
17 or other input submitted by members of the public and
18 stakeholder groups; public hearing testimony; other incumbent
19 requests; respect for geographic features and natural or
20 logical boundaries; and other redistricting principles
21 recognized by state and federal court decisions; and be it
22 further
23     RESOLVED, That the House hereby adopts and incorporates by
24 reference all information received by the House Redistricting
1 Committee or the Senate Redistricting Committee that was
2 submitted by the general public and stakeholders in person at
3 the hearings; by e-mail; by U.S. mail; by facsimile; or in
4 person at the public access stations provided by the House and
5 Senate in Springfield, Illinois and in Chicago, Illinois; that
6 the House further adopts and incorporates by reference
7 transcripts of proceedings for all of the redistricting
8 hearings conducted by either the House or Senate or both; and
9 that all information received by the House or Senate or both,
10 including but not limited to, the aforementioned information,
11 was subsequently posted at one of the following websites:
12 www.ilga.gov/senate/committees/hearing.asp?CommitteeID=956,
13 www.ilsenateredistricting.com, and
14 www.ilhousedems.com/redistricting; and be it further
15     RESOLVED, That the following summary describes the general
16 characteristics of each Representative District and makes
17 reference to some but not all of the redistricting principles
18 that were considered in drawing that District.  The term
19 "proposed RD", followed by a number, will refer to the
20 Representative District proposed in the 2011 General Assembly
21 Redistricting Plan, and the term "current RD", followed by a
22 number, will refer to the Representative District under the
23 current, existing plan adopted in 2001:
24     REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1
1     According to the 2010 Census, current RD 1 has a population
2 of 101,561.  Proposed RD 1 has a population of 108,734, the
3 equal-population target, and is therefore compliant with the
4 "one person, one vote" principle.
5     Proposed RD 1 includes portions of current RDs 1, 6, 21,
6 23, and 32 with 38.03% of the population coming from current RD
7 1. Proposed RD 1 is different in shape from current RD 1 due in
8 part to population shifts and the need to increase the total
9 population of the district by 7,173.
10     Even though proposed RD 1 is different geographically, it
11 is similar demographically and  shares many of the
12 characteristics  of current RD 1. Proposed RD 1 has more clearly
13 defined borders made up of permanent fixtures such as railroad
14 lines and expressways. The boundaries of proposed RD 1 are the
15 Stevenson Expressway to the north, the New City neighborhood to
16 the east, Chicago Lawn to the south and a section of Garfield
17 Ridge to the west. In order to ensure equal population,
18 proposed RD 1 moves south and west into current RD 6, west into
19 current RD's 21 and 23, and south into current RD 32.  Proposed
20 RD 1 consists of portions of  the southwest side of Chicago and
21 most of the wards that make up current RD 1, including  parts of
22 the 12th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 20th and 23rd wards in
23 Chicago. This  includes the neighborhoods of Archer Heights,
24 Brighton Park, New City, Gage Park, Chicago Lawn, Garfield
25 Ridge, and West Elsdon.  A portion of the municipality of Forest
26 View is added to proposed RD 1.
1     Despite population loss requiring proposed RD 1 to move
2 south and west, proposed RD 1 retains similar demographics as
3 current RD 1.  The 14th ward continues to make up much of
4 proposed RD 1 and dominates the north and central parts of the
5 district.  Included in this ward are the neighborhoods of Archer
6 Heights, Brighton Park, a segment of West Elsdon, and Gage
7 Park.  These neighborhoods are heavily populated with blue
8 collar, working class Hispanic families, which is similar
9 demographically to the rest of the ward.
10     The 16th Ward portion of proposed RD 1 consists of the Gage
11 Park, Chicago Lawn, and New City neighborhoods.  Gage Park
12 overlaps into both the 14th and 16th wards, makes up much of
13 the eastern part of the district, and runs through the center
14 of proposed RD 1.  The New City portion of proposed RD 1 is also
15 on the eastern border.  Both Gage Park and New City have large
16 Hispanic populations, as well as the largest African American
17 population in proposed RD 1.
18     The Chicago Lawn neighborhood, which is in the 15th, 16th,
19 and 18th wards, is in the southern portion of proposed RD 1.
20 This portion of proposed RD 1 consists of single family homes,
21 traditional Chicago bungalows, apartment buildings and
22 Marquette Park.  On the southwest side of the district, the
23 border is defined by Central Park Ave. and the Grand Trunk
24 Western Rail Road.  The West Elsdon neighborhood, tucked in a
25 western corner of proposed RD 1, includes the core of proposed
26 RD 1's Asian population.
1     Several means of transportation help make up the borders of
2 proposed RD 1 and the communities of proposed RD 1 are tied
3 together by the transportation industry. The most northern
4 portion of proposed RD 1 is bordered by Interstate 55, which
5 gives local residents access to the southwest suburbs, Will
6 County and more importantly Downtown Chicago where many people
7 commute for work.  In addition to the expressway, the  CTA Orange
8 Line runs through proposed RD 1 and the Metra Heritage Line
9 runs through the north end of proposed RD 1 providing easy
10 access to the southwest suburbs and Downtown Chicago.  The large
11 north/south streets that run throughout the district, such as
12 Pulaski, Kedzie, Western, and Damen, provide many residents
13 with easy access to shopping areas, schools, colleges and jobs.
14 There are also several freight lines that run through proposed
15 RD 1 mainly on the outer borders.  Several neighborhoods
16 included in proposed RD 1 are heavily influenced by the
17 transportation industry.  Brighton Park and Archer Heights both
18 have transportation facilities and railroads in their
19 neighborhoods, and proposed RD 1 unites these communities of
20 interest.  Both Archer Heights and Brighton Park have seen an
21 influx of new residents, partially as a result of their
22 proximity to Midway Airport.
23     Socioeconomically, proposed RD 1 is very diverse.  The
24 northwest and far west sides of proposed RD 1 have a base of
25 residents with a median income of $44,000 to $99,000, whereas
26 the south end of the district has residents with a median
1 income of $2,499 to $44,000.  As with the other demographics of
2 proposed RD 1, this is consistent with current RD 1.
3     The neighborhoods in proposed RD 1 are diverse,
4 multi-ethnic communities where local businesses coexist with
5 larger commercial chain stores and restaurants.  These
6 communities have distinct neighborhood qualities while
7 maintaining the convenience of urban amenities as well.
8 Proposed RD 1 brings these communities together to unite these
9 communities of interest.
10     In current RD 1, the Hispanic voting-age population  is
11 74.14%. In proposed RD 1, the Hispanic voting-age population is
12 68.26%. The partisan composition in proposed RD 1 is slightly
13 lowered but still remains substantially similar to the current
14 composition under current RD 1. (Throughout these summaries,
15 partisan composition in a particular district was derived from
16 an analysis of voter behavior based on candidate performance in
17 numerous races over several election cycles.) Proposed RD 1 has
18 an African American voting-age population of 11.97%,  and an
19 Asian voting-age population of 1.34%.
21     According to the 2010 census, current RD 2 has a population
22 of 91,849. Proposed RD 2 has a population of 108,734, the
23 equal-population target, and is therefore compliant with the
24 "one person, one vote" principle. Proposed RD 2 is different in
25 shape from current RD 2 due, in part, to population shifts and
1 the need to increase the total population of the district by
2 16,885.
3     Of the population in proposed RD 2, 63.46% reside in
4 current RD 2. In order to gain the necessary population, RD 2
5 acquires land to the southwest and northeast. The northern
6 border of current RD 2 remains the same, but is extended to
7 square off the northeast corner.  This extension is necessary to
8 gain population and make the district more compact and
9 contiguous.
10     The eastern border of proposed RD 2 shifts east and extends
11 north from the entrance of I-90/94 up to 16th Street.  The
12 southern border of the district extends southwest from 31st
13 Street and the Dan Ryan expressway to 42nd Street and
14 California Avenue.  It then extends north to 38th Place and east
15 half a mile to Western Ave. where it runs north on the western
16 border to the northern border at 17th Street. The western
17 border of proposed RD 2 is similar to that of current RD 2,
18 except for the southwest expansion that is west of Western
19 Avenue and south of Pershing Road. This expansion is made
20 because of the need to add a large number of residents to the
21 district.  Proposed RD 2 recedes completely from South Lawndale
22 and removes a small northwest portion of current RD 2,
23 partially to keep the traditional boundaries of Chinatown in
24 one district.
25     Proposed RD 2 is located entirely within Chicago, as is
26 current RD 2, and includes portions of the Chicago
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1 neighborhoods of Armour Square, Bridgeport, Brighton Park,
2 Lower West Side, McKinley Park, Near South Side, and New City.
3 Brighton Park is not in current RD 2.
4     The sections added in proposed RD 2 have a similar income
5 level as the majority of current RD 2.  These communities of
6 interests are grouped together with the other areas at the
7 $2,499 to $44,000 income level range.  The center of proposed RD
8 2 has an area of income level in the $44,000 to $68,000 range
9 and a small part of proposed RD 2 has a range of $68,000 to
10 $148,000.
11     One of the most significant changes from current RD 2 in
12 proposed RD 2 is that it adds a new area in the northeast so
13 that the traditional boundaries of Chinatown are within one
14 district. Witnesses at the House Redistricting Committee
15 Hearing in Chicago on April 21, 2011, testified to the
16 importance of keeping Chinatown in one district.  C. W. Chan
17 from the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community,
18 Ester Wong from the Chinese American Service League, Tony Shu
19 from the Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, and Ami Gandhi
20 of the Asian American Institute all asked that Chinatown to be
21 kept in one representative district.
22     In addition to the entrance of I-90/94 at the northeastern
23 corner of proposed RD 2, I-55 cuts through the middle of
24 proposed RD 2 as it does in current RD 2, making it easy for
25 residents of the district to access transportation options.
26 Several train routes serve proposed RD 2, as they do in current
1 RD 2: The CTA Red line runs through the Armour Square
2 neighborhood, the Pink and Blue lines run east-west through the
3 northwest corner of proposed RD 2, the Orange line runs
4 diagonally through proposed RD 2, and the Metra Heritage line
5 runs through proposed RD 2 as well.  In addition to the
6 interstate highways and multiple train routes, proposed RD 2,
7 as well as the current district, has the Sanitary and Ship
8 Canal that cuts through from east to west running parallel to
9 I-55.  Transportation in this district allows for a large
10 industrial area that not only serves Chicago, but the nation.
11     Proposed RD 2 maintains a majority of its core from current
12 RD 2 and preserves the incumbent-constituent relationship that
13 has been built over 14 years of the same continued
14 representation. The partisan composition is substantially the
15 same when compared to current RD 2. Current RD 2 has a Hispanic
16 voting-age population of 63.93%, and proposed RD 2 has a
17 Hispanic voting-age population of 52.77%. Proposed RD 2 has an
18 African American voting-age population of 2.93% and an Asian
19 voting-age population of 23.47%.
22 of 101,435. Proposed RD 3 has a population of 108,734, the
2 7,299.
4 current RD 3. While maintaining the core of current RD 3,
5 boundaries are moved in the northwest, south, and southeast
6 parts. Proposed RD 3 has narrower portions in the western Logan
7 Square and Hermosa neighborhoods than current RD 3. The
8 boundaries also run northwest into more of Belmont Cragin,
9 Montclare, Dunning and Austin. A significant geographic
10 difference is that the western border of proposed RD 3 is wider
11 from north to south than current RD 3, primarily to bring in
12 the necessary population and maintain communities of interest.
13 Proposed RD 3 is bordered by major thoroughfares, including
14 North Harlem Avenue on a portion of the western border, West
15 Irving Park Road to the far north, Belmont Avenue in the
16 north-central, Fullerton and Wrightwood  Avenues in a portion of
17 the northeast border, and the corner of N. Cicero and W. North
18 Avenue in the southeast.
19     Proposed RD 3 is entirely in Cook County and the vast
20 majority is in the city of Chicago, with the exception of a
21 small portion of the western border in Elmwood Park. Like
22 current RD 3, proposed RD 3 keeps the Belmont Cragin
23 neighborhood as the largest and most central neighborhood in
24 the district, while adding new neighborhoods that share many
25 common interests. Both current and proposed RD 3 includes
26 portions of the Hermosa, Logan Square, Dunning, Portage Park,
1 and Montclare neighborhoods. Proposed RD 3 adds a small portion
2 of the Austin neighborhood. The new sections of Dunning and
3 Montclare neighborhoods in proposed RD 3 are consistent in
4 ethnicity, median income, and share the same main artery
5 streets. The section of north Austin included in proposed RD 3
6 is scarcely populated and includes industrial areas that are
7 staffed by many Belmont Cragin and Montclare residents. In
8 addition to population concerns, the section of Elmwood Park is
9 included in proposed RD 3 to capture Hispanic growth in that
10 pocket of the city.
11     The Chicago wards within proposed RD 3 share socioeconomic
12 traits, including that they are primarily single family
13 "bungalow" homes and have similar median incomes. The area is
14 best described as a working class "bungalow belt" region. The
15 residents of the neighborhoods are majority Hispanic, mixed
16 with white ethnic residents who are often of Polish and German
17 decent. Many of the Hispanic residents are second and third
18 generation Americans and move into the area from areas with
19 higher crime in order to purchase homes and raise families in a
20 safer environment. In both cases, the newer and older
21 residents, there are strong family and common interest and
22 community values that shape the area. The residents are from
23 mixed backgrounds but have similar immigrant roots and have a
24 shared interest in building and maintaining communities with
25 good schools, adequate policing and financial opportunities.
26 Both the Hispanic and white residents are mostly working class,
1 blue-collar with predominantly lower-middle to middle  median
2 incomes between $2,500 and about $68,000. A segment of
3 upper-middle income residents live near the Brickyard Mall in
4 western Belmont Cragin.
5     Proposed RD 3 contains a substantial majority of its core
6 from current RD 3 and preserves the incumbent-constituent
7 relationship that has developed over the previous 5 years. The
8 partisan composition of proposed RD 3 has dropped slightly  in
9 comparison to current RD 3 but still remains strong. Current RD
10 3 has a Hispanic voting-age population of 74.42%, and proposed
11 RD 3 has a Hispanic voting-age population of 60.85%. Proposed
12 RD 3 has an Asian voting-age population of 2.77% and an African
13 American voting-age population of 4.47%.
16 of 92,536. Proposed RD 4 has a total population of 108,734, the
18 "one person, one vote" principle.  Proposed RD 4 is different in
20 the need to increase the total population of the district by
21 16,198.
22     Of the population in proposed RD 4, 76.94% reside in
23 current RD 4. As under current RD 4, proposed RD 4 is entirely
24 within Cook County and the City of Chicago.  Under both maps,
25 the residents are served by the Chicago Public Schools, City
1 Colleges of Chicago, Chicago Public Library System, Chicago
2 Park System, Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Fire
3 Department.  Under both districts, the residents are within Cook
4 County Board Districts 1, 8, and 12. Current RD 4 contains
5 portions of the Chicago's 1st, 26th, 27th, 30th, 32nd, 35th,
6 and 37th Wards.  Proposed RD 4 maintains these wards and adds a
7 portion of the 31st Ward on the western edge of the district.
8 This is due to the need to add population to proposed RD 4.
9     The portions of West Town within current RD 4 are very
10 similar to proposed RD 4, with some losses on the northeast
11 side of Milwaukee Avenue.  When current RD 4 was drawn, this
12 area had a greater Hispanic population than it does now. With
13 this loss, there are gains in the Logan Square neighborhood in
14 the north, to Humboldt Park in the west, and to Hermosa in the
15 west under proposed RD 4. Of interest, Marisol Morales,
16 Co-Chair of the Puerto Rican Agenda, commented at the Chicago
17 Downtown Redistricting Hearing on April 21, 2011 that she
18 wanted to see the Humboldt Park community within a primarily
19 Hispanic district. Additionally, Chicago Park District's
20 Humboldt Park, which is at the center of both current and
21 proposed RD 4, sits between the neighborhoods of West Town to
22 the east and Humboldt Park to the west.  As with current RD 4,
23 the park boundaries of Humboldt Park are completely intact
24 under proposed RD 4.
25     The median income of proposed RD 4 slightly decreases in
26 comparison to current RD 4.  This is due to the loss of eastern
1 portions of current RD 4, which had a higher median income
2 ranging from $68,000 to $148,000, and the addition of parts to
3 the west and north, which have lower median incomes ranging
4 from $2,499 to $44,000.
5     The southern border of proposed RD 4 has very similar
6 boundaries as current RD 4.   This border in large part follows
7 Metra's Milwaukee District North and Milwaukee District West
8 train tracks. Grand Avenue also serves as a southern boundary
9 in portions of both current RD 4 and proposed RD 4.  To the
10 south of the train tracks and Grand Avenue lies an African
11 American population. If this population had been included
12 within proposed RD 4, the district might not be a majority
13 Hispanic district.
14     Proposed RD 4 keeps a substantial majority of the core from
15 current RD 4 and preserves the incumbent-constituent
16 relationship that has developed over the past 10 years. The
17 partisan composition is very similar to current RD 4. In
18 current RD 4, there is a Hispanic voting-age population of
19 44.08%. In proposed RD 4, there is a Hispanic voting-age
20 population of 50.70%. Proposed RD 4 has an African American
21 voting-age population of 8.11% and  an Asian voting-age
22 population of 2.91%.
25 of 102,436.  Proposed RD 5 has a population of 108,734, the
4 current RD 5. Proposed RD 5 adds population to the south,
5 southeast, and west. Proposed RD 5, like current RD 5, is an
6 urban district with cultural, economic, and ethnic diversity
7 stretching in a corridor from the Near North Side, through
8 Chicago's Loop, into the Near South Side, and through the South
9 Side neighborhoods of Armour Square, Douglas, Fuller Park,
10 Grand Boulevard, Washington Park, Greater Grand Crossing, New
11 City, Woodlawn, Avalon Park and South Shore.  Residents of
12 current and proposed RD 5, whether hailing from the northern or
13 southern portion of the district, come together downtown for
14 work, recreation and to shop for goods and services.
15     Proposed RD 5 is substantially similar to current RD 5,
16 preserving linkages for current communities of interest and
17 retaining essentially the same shape and similar boundaries for
18 the northern three-fourths of the district; the southern
19 boundary has been shifted southeast to include portions of
20 Wards 5 and 8.
21     As with current RD 5, the heart of proposed RD 5 are Wards
22 2, 3, 20 and 42; both current and proposed RD 5 also include to
23 a much smaller extent Ward 4.  At its extended southern end,
24 proposed RD 5 adds Wards 5, 6,  and 8.  Proposed RD 5 drops four
25 wards (11, 25, 27 and 43) found in current RD 5.  Proposed RD 5
26 splits one fewer wards than does current RD 5.
1     Currently the Greater Chinatown area is divided among
2 multiple representative districts, including current RD 5. At a
3 redistricting hearing held in Chicago on April 21, 2011, C.W.
4 Chan of the Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community
5 and Ester Wong, Executive Director of the Chinese American
6 Service League, testified that they would like to see Chinatown
7 unified within one representative district, as its residents
8 are of a common ethnic background, many are recent immigrants,
9 and they face similar challenges related to learning English as
10 a second language, finding employment, and meeting the special
11 health care challenges of their elderly.  To accommodate this
12 request, the portion found in current RD 5 was removed and is
13 now included in proposed RD 2 with all of Greater Chinatown.
14     With the boundary adjustments to add needed population, the
15 partisan composition of proposed RD 5 stays roughly the same
16 compared to current RD 5 with a slight increase in the existing
17 partisan advantage.  The African-American voting-age population
18 of proposed RD 5 is nearly identical to that in current RD 5
19 when it was drawn in 2001.  The northern core of the district is
20 left relatively intact, allowing for the continuity of a
21 sizeable portion of the incumbent-constituent relationships
22 that have developed over nine years.
23     Proposed RD 5 has an African American voting-age population
24 of 52.07%, an Asian voting-age population of 7.91%, and a
25 Hispanic voting-age population of 3.83%.
1     REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 6
3 of 86,931.  Proposed RD 6 has a population of 108,734, the
5 "one person, one vote" principle. Proposed RD 6 is different in
6 shape from current RD 6 due, in part, to population shifts and
7 the need to increase the total population of the district.
9 current RD 6.  The shape of proposed RD 6 reflects the need to
10 gain population within the district and neighboring districts.
11     Proposed RD 6 continues to be entirely within Chicago and
12 Cook County.  Proposed RD 6 includes small portions of the
13 neighborhoods of the near west side and near north side, west
14 of Chicago's downtown.  This extends further north than current
15 RD 6 in order to add some of the 21,803 persons needed to
16 achieve equal population.
17     South of W. 31st Street, proposed RD 6 takes in portions of
18 current RD 6, then closely resembles the shape of current RD 6,
19 except for small areas in the east (in the New City, Fuller
20 Park, Englewood, and Washington Park neighborhoods) and west
21 (in the New City and Gage Park neighborhoods) of current RD 6,
22 where residents are included in neighboring districts, in part,
23 to achieve equal population and keeps a community of interest
24 intact.  The western border of current RD 6 is shifted east to
25 add Hispanic areas to proposed RD 1.
26     Proposed RD 6 adds the majority of the Fuller Park
1 neighborhood. This area is predominately African American.
2 Further south, the proposed RD 6 loses residents on the east
3 side of Englewood to proposed RD 5, which also needs to add
4 population.  Proposed RD 6 adds a  small African American area in
5 the southwest corner of the district in Chicago Lawn.
6     Despite having to overcome the most significant population
7 loss of any representative district, and having limited options
8 for finding population among adjacent districts that have
9 suffered significant drops as well, proposed RD 6 maintains the
10 core of the existing district and largely preserves the
11 incumbent-constituent relationships that have developed over
12 more than five years. The northern extension of current RD 6
13 shifts east and heads further north under proposed RD 6 to find
14 population that is predominantly Caucasian and Asian.  As a
15 result, the voting-age population for African-Americans, which
16 in 2011 stands at over 58% under current RD 6, drops almost 8
17 percentage points.  The partisan composition of the district
18 remains roughly the same.
20 of 50.44%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 15.79%, and an
23     According to the 2010 Census, current RD 7 has a current
24 population of 97,427.  Proposed RD 7 has a population of
25 108,734, the equal population target, and is therefore
1 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle. Proposed
2 RD 7 is different in shape from current RD 7 due, in part, to
3 population shifts and the need to increase the total population
4 of the district by over 11,000 people.
6 current RD 7. In order to achieve equal population, proposed RD
7 7 has expanded in overall size. This expansion also accounts
8 for other proposed districts which must gain population to
9 achieve the equal-population target.  As it becomes larger,
10 proposed RD 7 has also become more compact, losing the section
11 of current RD 7 that extends into Oak Park and the City of
12 Chicago.  All of proposed RD 7 is within Cook County, as is
13 current RD 7.
14     Proposed RD 7 contains two townships in Cook County,
15 Proviso Township and River Forest Township.  Proposed RD 7
16 includes all or major portions of River Forest, Forest Park,
17 Maywood, Bellwood, Broadview, Hillside, Berkeley, Westchester,
18 and La Grange Park, as well as small sections of Melrose Park,
19 Western Springs, and Northlake. Unlike current RD 7, proposed
20 RD 7 preserves the boundary with Melrose Park to keep most of
21 the municipality intact in a neighboring district, with the
22 exception of a small portion at the eastern edge of Melrose
23 Park which is added for population purposes.
24     All of River Forest is within proposed RD 7, and the
25 northeast border of proposed RD 7 follows the northeast corner
26 of River Forest. Many residents of River Forest commute to jobs
1 in the city by taking the Metra Union Pacific-West line, which
2 has a stop in the community.  Within River Forest are the Cook
3 County Forest Preserves of Thatcher Woods and Thatcher Woods
4 Glen.  Unlike current RD 7, proposed RD 7 keeps the entirety of
5 River Forest within one district instead of splitting it into
6 two representative districts.
7     The southern Proviso Township communities of LaGrange
8 Park, Westchester, and Western Springs included in proposed RD
9 7 share a large forested area, Salt Creek Woods Nature
10 Preserve, as well a nearby Metra line. These towns share a
11 common upper median income and demographic makeup with those
12 included in the northeast sections of proposed RD 7. These
13 communities are united with others in proposed RD 7 by the
14 roads and rail services that act as a western gateway into
15 Chicago. Additionally, all of the municipalities included
16 within proposed RD 7 share a common interest in the county and
17 community college services available throughout proposed RD 7.
18 Expanding current RD 7 to include these territories also helps
19 proposed RD 7 gain needed population and allows it to better
20 follow township boundaries.
21     Proposed RD 7's northern border separating Melrose Park
22 from Maywood and Bellwood follows the municipal boundary and
23 the area's racial demographics.  Melrose Park is largely
24 separated from the rest of Proviso Township in proposed RD 7
25 because of its very high concentration of Hispanic residents.
26     Proposed RD 7's central area is comprised of the largely
1 African American, lower income communities of Bellwood,
2 Maywood and Broadview.  These communities have a shared a common
3 median income and share concerns on issues of transportation,
4 economic opportunities, gang violence and neighborhood safety.
5     The changes to the district allow proposed RD 7 to maintain
6 the core of current RD 7 and preserve the
7 incumbent-constituency relationship that has developed over
8 the last ten years.  The partisan composition of proposed RD 7
9 still favors the incumbent party but drops somewhat.  The
10 boundary adjustments necessary to compensate for a substantial
11 population loss result in a sizeable drop in African-American
12 population and, to a lesser extent, Hispanic population.
13     Proposed RD 7 contains a 45.08% African American voting-age
14 population, a 2.92% Asian voting-age population and a 12.29%
15 Hispanic voting-age population.
18 94,072. Proposed RD has a population of 108,734, the
23 over 14,000.
25 current RD 8. Proposed RD 8 preserves the core of current RD 8,
1 while expanding west into the suburbs to gain population and
2 preserve communities of interest. Several boundary lines in
3 proposed RD 8 are the same as the current RD 8, and the new
4 district lines follow roadways and other natural corridors.  The
5 eastern border of proposed RD 8 moves slightly west to
6 accommodate a neighboring district to the east that needed to
7 gain population.  To accommodate this westward shift, proposed
8 RD 8 gains African American population north of West Quincy
9 Street in Chicago's 28th and 29th Wards, and north of Division
10 Street and east of Central Avenue in the 37th Ward.
11     Like current RD 8, proposed RD 8 contains portions of Oak
12 Park, Berwyn, Riverside, and Proviso Townships, but proposed RD
13 8 also adds a small portion of Lyons Township to gain
14 population.  With this expansion, proposed RD 8 increases its
15 population in North Riverside and adds portions of Brookfield,
16 La Grange, La Grange Park, and Western Springs.  Similar to the
17 current RD 8, proposed RD 8 still contains portions of Chicago
18 Wards 24, 28, 29, and 37 within the Austin neighborhood. North
19 Riverside is included in its entirety which is an improvement
20 upon the current map which divided the neighborhood nearly in
21 half.
22     The Austin neighborhood in Chicago and portions of Berwyn
23 in proposed RD 8 have a higher rate of vacant property (11% and
24 25% vacant housing rate) than the rest of the district, which
25 has less than 10% vacant housing.  Combining Austin and Berwyn
26 in the proposed RD 8 strengthens a community of interest around
1 the need to remedy the housing crisis impacting these areas.
2     Austin and Berwyn also have separate, large, homogeneous
3 minority populations.  Most of Austin is predominantly African
4 American, while most of Berwyn is predominantly Hispanic.  Oak
5 Park has a considerable minority population as well, but
6 populations of African Americans, Asian Americans, and
7 Hispanics are intermixed within Oak Park.
8     While racial demographics differ, Oak Park and La Grange
9 form a community of interest as commuter suburbs.  While most of
10 the suburban portion of proposed RD 8 has a median income
11 between $44,205 and $98,750, parts of La Grange, LaGrange Park
12 and Oak Park have a higher median income range between $98,750
13 and $147,955.  These communities do, however, share similar
14 values, seeking safer neighborhoods and better schools for
15 their families while enjoying easy access to transportation to
16 Chicago.  Oak Park is connected to Chicago by the CTA Blue Line
17 and Green Line in addition to its proximity to Interstate 290
18 and North Avenue.  La Grange is connected to Chicago by the
19 Burlington Northern Santa Fe Metra Line with two stops in La
20 Grange, in addition to its proximity to Interstate 294,
21 Interstate 290 via Highway 12/20, and Ogden Avenue.  Combining
22 these two similar suburban areas strengthens this community of
23 interest in proposed RD 8.
24     Proposed RD 8 retains a significant core of its current
25 district and preserves what incumbent-constituent
26 relationships may have developed since 2007.  The expansion to
1 the west and southwest to compensate for one of the largest
2 population losses of any district adds population that is
3 largely Caucasian and Hispanic, leading to a slight drop in
4 overall African-American voting-age population in proposed RD
5 8.  That same expansion picks up largely individuals who have
6 voted predominantly Republican and, thereby, reduces the
7 incumbent's partisan advantage by a fair amount, though the
8 advantage remains strong.
9     The proposed RD 8 has an African American voting-age
10 population of 55.29%, a Hispanic voting-age population of
11 11.58%, and an Asian voting-age population of 1.87%.
13     According to the 2010 Census, current RD 9 had a population
14 of 112,861. Current RD 9 has a population of 108,734, the
18 the need to decrease the total population of the district by
19 4,127.
20     Proposed RD 9 has a substantially similar shape to current
21 RD 9, and 84.62% of its population resides in  current RD 9.  It
22 is located entirely within the city of Chicago and covers
23 portions of Wards 2, 12, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, and 42.  The only
24 ward in current RD 9 that is not included in current RD 9 is
25 Ward 43.
1     Proposed RD 9 includes almost all of the North Lawndale and
2 Near West Side community areas and takes in smaller portions of
3 East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, South Lawndale, the
4 Loop, the Lower West Side, West Town, Near North Side and
5 Lincoln Park.
6     Proposed RD 9 has experienced gentrification over the last
7 10 years, with more Caucasians moving in from the Loop and
8 other areas of the city into predominantly African American
9 neighborhoods that have redeveloped to attract young
10 professionals.  This trend is pushing further westward in
11 proposed RD 9 and higher income families are residing in the
12 eastern portion of proposed RD 9.  Proposed RD 9 recedes from
13 portions of the Loop, the Near West Side, the Lower West Side,
14 West Town, West Garfield Park, the Near South Side and the Near
15 North Side.
16     Proposed RD 9 recognizes a vital community of interest in
17 the Illinois Medical District, one of the largest medical
18 districts in the Unites States.  This community of interest,
19 which includes the John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County,
20 Rush University Medical Center, University of Illinois College
21 of Medicine, and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, is
22 essential to the health and well-being of local residents.
23     Another community of interest recognized by proposed RD 9's
24 borders is the University of Illinois-Chicago Campus, which
25 lies wholly within proposed RD 9 and contributes a significant
26 amount of revenue and population to the surrounding area.
1     Much of proposed and current RD 9 is serviced by the
2 Eisenhower Expressway/I-290, which provides a vital
3 transportation link and source of commerce.  Portions of the
4 Ryan Expressway/I-94 also run through proposed RD 9.  In
5 addition, the CTA Blue Line and Pink Line run through the
6 majority of proposed RD 9 and helps local residents move around
7 the district and city.
8     Proposed RD 9 adds additional territory to the northeast
9 corner of current RD 9, bringing in pockets of low-income,
10 African American residents in the 27th and 43rd Wards who share
11 similar demographics of wealth, housing stock, race, and voting
12 patterns with proposed RD 9's west side.
13     The boundary adjustment to the west accommodates the
14 expansion needs of proposed RD 6, which suffered the greatest
15 population loss of any current representative district.  The
16 subsequent northern expansion picks up necessary population.
17 The partisan and racial compositions of proposed RD 9 are
18 roughly equivalent to what they would be under current RD 9.
20 of 50.08%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 7.89%, and an
22     REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 10
23     According to the 2010 Census, current RD 10 has a
24 population of 95,447. Proposed RD 10 has a population of
25 108,734, the equal-population target, and is therefore
1 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle. The minor
2 differences in shape between proposed RD 10 and current RD 10
3 are due, in part, to population shifts and the need to increase
4 the total population of the district.
5     Proposed RD 10 is very similar in shape to current RD 10,
6 and 81.52% of its population resides in current RD 10. Proposed
7 RD 10 moves west largely following existing district lines and
8 narrows as it moves west so as to not impede the boundaries of
9 proposed RD 4 immediately to the north. In the eastern portion
10 of proposed RD 10, the west boundary is moved from along
11 Kennedy Expressway to North Milwaukee Avenue, allowing the
12 district to add more population with similar socioeconomic
13 characteristics as the southeastern portion of proposed RD 10.
14     Current and proposed RD 10 includes the neighborhood
15 communities of Humboldt Park, West Garfield Park, East Garfield
16 Park, Near West Side, Near North Side, Lincoln Park, Logan
17 Square, Austin, North Lawndale, and West Town. To achieve equal
18 population, RD 10 includes more of Garfield Park, Austin, and
19 West Town than current RD 10. Similar to current RD 10,
20 proposed RD 10 is located entirely within Cook County and the
21 city of Chicago. It includes almost all of the same Chicago
22 Wards as current RD 10, including Wards 1, 24, 26, 27, 28, 32,
23 37 and 43. The only significant changes to existing wards are
24 additional population added on the northeast end of the 1st
25 Ward, the east corner of the 27th Ward, the northwest corner of
26 the 24th Ward, and western portions of the 28th and 37th Wards.
1     Proposed RD 10 runs along similar lines as two major
2 highways at some points:  I-94 / Kennedy Expressway runs north
3 to south along the eastern portion of the district and
4 intersects with I-290 / Eisenhower Expressway which runs along
5 parts of proposed RD 10's southern border. The intersection of
6 these two highways takes place just outside the southeast
7 corner of proposed RD 10, but the two highways nevertheless
8 serve as a frame for both current and proposed RD 10. In
9 addition to the highways, public transportation is a binding
10 factor between the east and west portion of proposed RD 10. The
11 CTA Green Line runs directly through the eastern portion of
12 proposed RD 10 and links the communities of Humboldt Park, West
13 Garfield Park, and East Garfield Park with West Town and the
14 Near West Side. The CTA Blue Line runs along I-290 on the
15 southern border of proposed RD 10 and then moves diagonally
16 northwest into the western portion of the district. Residents
17 from either portion of proposed RD 10 can easily travel from
18 one end to the other by accessing the Green Line just east of
19 Garfield Park in the west to the Blue Line that runs along
20 Milwaukee Avenue in the east. This makes travel for commerce,
21 recreation or employment convenient throughout proposed RD 10.
22     The partisan and racial composition of proposed RD 10
23 remains essentially the same as they exist currently under
24 current RD 10.
25     Proposed RD 10 contains an African American voting-age
26 population of 50.83%, an Asian voting-age population of 2.53%,
1 and a Hispanic voting-age population of 12.40%.
2     REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 11
3     According to the 2010 Census, current RD 11 has a
4 population of 108,125. Proposed RD 11 has a population of
5 108,734, the equal-population target, and is therefore
6 perfectly compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle.
7     Proposed RD 11 is located entirely within Chicago, and
8 87.79% of its population resides in current RD 11. Generally,
9 proposed RD 11 maintains the boundaries of current RD 11, but
10 expands the district slightly to the west to increase the
11 population of the district. Proposed RD 11, similar to current
12 RD 11, contains neighborhood communities of interest. It
13 contains almost all of North Center and western Lakeview,
14 retains a significant portion of the Lincoln Park neighborhood
15 in the southern portion of the district, and includes to the
16 north Lincoln Square and Ravenswood Manor within Albany Park. A
17 larger portion of Logan Square is in proposed RD 11, as are
18 portions of Irving Park and Avondale, which are in current RD
19 11.  Proposed RD 11 retains almost all of the wards in current
20 RD 11, including the 1st, 32nd, 33rd, 43rd, 44th, and 47th
21 wards and more of the 1st ward.
22     Included within the boundaries of proposed RD 11 are many
23 shopping and dining options that allow residents to experience
24 urban living without the necessity of being tied to a car. The
25 residents are generally Caucasian and affluent.  Many work and
1 travel to downtown Chicago using public transportation, and
2 when not working, enjoy the amenities of their neighborhoods.
3     Proposed RD 11 preserves a vast majority of the core of
4 current RD 11.  The partisan composition of proposed RD 11 is
5 substantially similar to the current partisan composition
6 under current RD 11.
7     Minority populations are generally scattered throughout
8 proposed RD 11. The western boundary of proposed RD 11 borders
9 communities with significant Hispanic populations. The
10 voting-age population of African Americans is 3.13%, the
11 voting-age population of Hispanics is 10.13%, and the
12 voting-age population of Asians is 5.77%.
17 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle. Proposed
18 RD 12 is different in shape from current RD 12 due, in part, to
19 population shifts and the need to increase the total population
20 of the district by 9,155.
21     Of the population in proposed RD 12, 83.44% reside in
22 current RD 12. Like current RD 12, proposed RD 12 is located
23 entirely within Chicago and includes almost entirely Chicago
24 Wards 43, 44 and 46, and portions of Wards 27, 42, and 48. To
25 gain population, current RD 12 picks up more of Wards 44 and
1 46, and gains small sections of Ward 48 and Ward 27. Proposed
2 RD 12 is almost entirely within the Cook County Board of
3 Commissioners District 10, with a small portion of County
4 District 2 that is more similar in median income to District 10
5 than the rest of District 2.  This is similar to current RD 12.
6     Proposed RD 12 contains the same four neighborhoods
7 included in current RD 12 in roughly the same proportions: Lake
8 View, Lincoln Park, Uptown and the Near North Side. These
9 neighborhoods are similar demographically and economically.
10 Their proximity to Lake Michigan, the easy commute to the
11 downtown business district, and the large number of
12 restaurants, shops and other attractions within these
13 neighborhoods make them a preferred place to live for active
14 people in their twenties and thirties and young families.
15     Proposed RD 12, like current RD 12, is a higher income
16 district, with median incomes ranging from $44,000 to $250,000.
17 While Uptown is one of the more economically diverse
18 neighborhoods in the area, the proposed and current RD 12
19 contain the portions of this neighborhood that are higher
20 income and have more in common with the high income areas in
21 the three other neighborhoods. Proposed RD 12 gains population
22 at the southern end of the district in the Near North Side
23 neighborhood, which makes sense, as those residents are
24 economically similar to those in current RD 12.
25     The most important economic driver for the area is tourism
26 and entertainment.  The proposed district continues to contain
1 Wrigley Field, the Metro Theatre, the Lincoln Park Zoo and
2 Lincoln Park.  These attractions provide an identity for the
3 neighborhoods in the area and economically support the
4 communities around them, so it is important to continue to keep
5 these areas intact.  The people of this area of the city
6 strongly identify with their proximity to the lakefront, the
7 large amount of open space and the numerous outdoor activities
8 associated with it. Proposed RD 12 takes this community of
9 interest into account by adding needed population without
10 expanding the district too far to the west and away from Lake
11 Michigan. Recognizing this connection to the lake, a portion of
12 the additional area in the Uptown neighborhood that is added to
13 the proposed RD 12 is along the lakefront, as opposed to areas
14 further west.
15     Lake Michigan serves as the eastern border of the district.
16 Lincoln Park and the lakefront are the large areas of open
17 space that are attractive to local residents.  The other portion
18 of proposed and current RD 12 is very densely populated,
19 containing many apartment and condominium complexes.  Natural
20 attractions within Lincoln Park include the South Lagoon, the
21 North Pond and Diversey, Belmont and Montrose Harbors.
22 Residents of the area are attracted to the unique combination
23 of an active and busy urban area adjacent to large natural
24 spaces that encourage outdoor recreation.  It was important to
25 keep the park area intact as a part of the district because of
26 the strong ties that residents of current and proposed RD 12
1 have with the park.
2     Proposed RD 12 maintains most of the core of current RD 12
3 and preserves incumbent-constituent relationships that have
4 developed over the past 8 election cycles. The partisan
5 composition of proposed RD 12 is slightly higher than the
6 current composition of current RD 12.
7     Proposed RD 12 contains a 5.04% African American voting-age
8 population, a 6.32% Hispanic voting-age population, and a 6.98%
9 Asian voting-age population.
11     According to the 2010 U.S. Census, current RD 13 has a
15 RD 68 is different in shape from current 68 due, in part, to
17 of the district by 13,747.
18     Proposed RD 13 is located entirely within Chicago. It
19 expands to the west and slightly northeast; however, to keep
20 proposed RD 13 compact as population is added to the west, the
21 district recedes from east and southeast areas that contain
22 significant amounts of open space. Even though proposed RD 13
23 shifts west, the core of current RD 13 remains intact. Of the
24 population in proposed RD 13, 77.38% reside in  current RD 13.
25     In order to recognize the importance of neighborhoods
1 within Chicago, proposed RD 13 attempts to keep intact many
2 neighborhoods and communities of interest.  Proposed RD 13
3 includes portions of eight Chicago Neighborhoods. Proposed RD
4 13 contains more of the Lincoln Square neighborhood than
5 current RD 13. Like current RD 13, proposed RD 13 contains most
6 of the Uptown Neighborhood.  As the median income of the Uptown
7 Neighborhood south of Montrose Avenue increases to a higher
8 level than most of proposed RD 13, the portions of Uptown south
9 of Montrose are removed to maintain a similar income level
10 throughout proposed RD 13. Proposed RD 13 maintains the western
11 portion of the Edgewater neighborhood and extends to include
12 one block east between Bryn Mawr Avenue and Foster Avenue and
13 north to Devon Ave to encompass all of the Edgewater
14 Neighborhood west of Clark Street.  While this is part of the
15 larger Edgewater Neighborhood, residents have organized the
16 West Edgewater Area Residents (WEAR) Organization as the
17 commercial corridor of Clark Street and the Andersonville
18 Neighborhood divide the neighborhood into smaller, more
19 distinct communities of interest.
20     The southern border of proposed RD 13 is very similar to
21 current RD 13, including the same portion of the North Center
22 Neighborhood.  Proposed RD 13 also includes a larger portion of
23 the West Ridge Neighborhood and part of the North Park
24 Neighborhood to increase the representation of these
25 communities of interest. The portion of North Park and West
26 Ridge included in proposed RD 13 include significant Asian
1 American populations, including local ethnic businesses,
2 retail establishments, and the Asian Human Services facility
3 located in the northwestern corner of the proposed district.
4 Proposed RD 13 adds small portions of the Albany Park and
5 Lakeview Neighborhoods.
6     Proposed RD 13 contains six Chicago wards. It includes most
7 of the 40th Ward south of Devon Avenue.  With westward
8 expansion, proposed RD 13 contains a larger portion of the 47th
9 Ward west of Lincoln Avenue and north of Eastwood Avenue and
10 maintains nearly the same southern border as current RD 13 in
11 the 47th Ward along Lincoln Avenue and Montrose Avenue.
12 Proposed RD 13 contains less of the 46th Ward but has a more
13 defined border along Montrose Avenue to the south and Lake
14 Shore Drive to the east.  Much of the population of the 46th and
15 47th Wards that proposed RD 13 removes are higher wage earners
16 than residents in other parts of proposed RD 13.  These two
17 wards are now more equally split between representative
18 districts according to economic similarities. Proposed RD 13
19 also has a small portion of the 48th Ward south of Foster Ave.,
20 the northern tip of the 33rd Ward, and the southeastern corner
21 of the 50th Ward in order to gain population.  Current RD 13
22 only contains one block of the 50th Ward, while proposed RD 13
23 contains a larger area of the 50th Ward to increase this
24 community of interest with the 50th Ward.
25     As stated by Lowell Jaffe and Anthony Martinez of the Civil
26 Rights Agenda during the April 25, 2011 House Redistricting
1 Hearing, current and proposed RD 13 includes a significant
2 number of persons who identify themselves as lesbian, gay,
3 bisexual, or transgender. Proposed RD 13  maintains this
4 community of interest.
5     Proposed RD 13 maintains a significant portion of the core
6 of current RD 13 and preserves incumbent-constituent
7 relationships built over the past 5 years.  The partisan
8 composition is almost identical to the current composition
10     There are significant racial and minority communities of
11 interest included in proposed RD 13.  The district keeps
12 together an African American community heavily concentrated
13 along the southeastern border.  Smaller pockets of African
14 American population are also found north of Peterson Avenue
15 (Highway 14) along proposed RD 13's northern border.  Combined
16 with other Asian populations throughout the proposed district,
17 proposed RD 13 has an Asian American voting-age population of
18 14.3%. Proposed RD 13 keeps the Asian population in the western
19 half of the district together and maintains a small but
20 consistent Hispanic population throughout proposed RD 13 at a
21 higher concentration than surrounding areas. Proposed RD 13
22 contains 11.66% African American voting-age population and a
23 16.99% Hispanic voting-age population.
1 population of 93,160. Proposed RD 14 has a population of
4 RD 14 is different in shape from current RD 14 due, in part, to
6 of the district by 15,574.
7     Of the population in proposed RD 14, 81.31% reside in
8 current RD 14.  Despite a few relatively minor differences,
9 proposed RD 14 preserves the social, economic, cultural and
10 ethnic characteristic of current RD 14. Proposed RD 14 gains
11 population by expanding current RD 14 to the north and west.
12 While proposed RD 14 is geographically larger than current RD
13 14, proposed RD 14 is more cohesive because it unifies areas
14 that share similar interests. Thus, changes in the map are due
15 in part to population migration, the need to gain population
16 within the district and the desire to keep communities of
17 interest intact.
18     Like current RD 14, proposed RD 14 includes all or parts of
19 Chicago Wards 40, 48, 49 and 50, which are located on the far
20 North Side of Chicago. Proposed RD 14 also extends into a small
21 portion Evanston and now includes the entire 49th Ward of
22 Chicago. This change places the whole 49th Ward in one state
23 representative district, rather than two. This allows for the
24 unification of almost all of Rogers Park, as requested by
25 several witnesses during the House Redistricting Hearings.
26 During the House Redistricting Committee Hearing in Chicago on
1 April 21, 2011, Jim Ginderske, representing Neighbors for a
2 Healthy Rogers Park, testified that neighborhood residents
3 wanted to see their community unified within proposed RD 14.
4 The part of Rogers Park that is currently represented by a
5 majority suburban district is moved into proposed RD 14 to
6 better meet the needs of its residents. An adjacent portion of
7 Evanston is also included, due in part to population and
8 because it shares similar interests and neighborhood resources
9 with the 49th Ward.
10     The southern border of proposed RD 14 generally follows
11 much of the southern border of the 48th Ward and Edgewater
12 neighborhood. A small part of the 50th Ward is located in
13 current and proposed RD 14. This area is one of the
14 lowest-income areas of the 50th Ward and is more economically
15 similar to parts of the 40th and 49th wards located in proposed
16 RD 14 than to surrounding precincts in the 50th Ward. Thus, it
17 is included in proposed RD 14 so that these residents, who
18 share socioeconomical interests, remain in one district. The
19 furthest most boundary streets for proposed RD 14 are Mulford
20 Street on the north, Foster Avenue on the south, Lake Michigan
21 on the east, and Dewey Avenue on the west.  Lake Shore Drive
22 parallels the district to the east and connects it to downtown
23 Chicago.
24     Despite the addition of new land into the district,
25 proposed RD 14 largely maintains the same ethnic diversity and
26 vibrant cultural offerings that make current RD 14 unique.
1 Proposed RD 14 includes the neighborhoods of West Ridge,
2 Edgewater, and almost all of Rogers Park (West Ridge and
3 Edgewater are in current RD 14, but Rogers Park is not). The
4 result is that the lakefront neighborhoods of Edgewater and
5 Rogers Park, which share many common characteristics, are now
6 located in a single representative district. A very small
7 portion of proposed RD 14 also includes a small portion of the
8 Uptown neighborhood that is similar to the other communities
9 located within proposed RD 14. As in current RD 14, proposed RD
10 14 includes the campus of Loyola University-Chicago and
11 surrounding neighborhoods are kept together as part of proposed
12 RD 14, as they are in current RD 14.
13     Socioeconomically, proposed RD 14 is largely made up of
14 middle-class families (median annual income between $44,000
15 and $99,000) with some lower-income areas (median annual income
16 $44,000 or less) in the northern part of the district. Proposed
17 lakefront representative districts to the immediate north and
18 south have higher median annual incomes than do neighborhoods
19 in proposed RD 14.
20     Proposed RD 14 keeps together in one representative
21 district the Hispanic population that is split between
22 Chicago's 49th and 50th wards. There are also significant
23 numbers of Asians in the southern portion of the district and
24 persons of  Swedish, Indian and Korean descent throughout
25 proposed RD 14. Additionally, current RD 14 and proposed RD 14
26 are home to one of the largest LGBT communities in Chicago and
1 the nation.
3 current RD 14.  The partisan advantage increases slightly in
4 favor of the incumbent compared to the current composition
6     Proposed RD 14 contains an African American voting-age
7 population of 21.72%, a Hispanic voting-age population of
8 16.39%, and an Asian voting-age population of 9.90%.
11 population of 104,676.  Proposed RD 15 has a population of
18 current RD 15. The northwest border of current RD 15 shifts
19 west to gain population.  Proposed RD 15 gains population from
20 Maine Township to the northwest.  Proposed RD 15 removes small
21 portions of Chicago, Niles, and Lincolnwood in order to account
22 for neighboring districts that need to gain population and to
23 keep communities of interest together. A small portion of
24 current RD 15 in Northfield Township, the northern most point
25 of current RD 15, is not included in proposed RD 15. This is
1 done in part to consolidate proposed RD 15 within Chicago and
2 the Cook County Townships of Niles and Maine.
3     Similar to current RD 15, proposed RD 15 is located
4 entirely within Cook County. Proposed RD contains portions of
5 Chicago, Glenview, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Park
6 Ridge, and Skokie.  The addition of Park Ridge and sections of
7 Glenview and Niles in the northwest add population to proposed
8 RD 15.
9     Proposed RD 15 keeps most of the core of current RD 15 and
10 maintains incumbent-constituent relationships formed over the
11 past 7 years.  The partisan composition is nearly identical to
12 the current composition under current RD 15.
13     Proposed RD 15 has an African American voting-age
14 population of 2%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 12.36%,
15 and an Asian voting-age population of 21.03%.
18 population of 105,607. Proposed RD 16 has a population of
25 current RD 16. The core of proposed RD 16 is generally the same
1 as current RD 16; however, its boundaries extend northeast,
2 northwest, and southwest to reach the target population and
3 protect communities of interest. Like current RD 16, proposed
4 RD 16 includes Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Skokie, and a portion
5 of the 50th Ward in Chicago.
6     Several major roads and streets bind proposed RD 16
7 together and also serve as logical boundaries. The eastern
8 boundary of proposed RD 16 follows very closely with the
9 boundaries of current RD 16. The difference in the southwestern
10 border comes from proposed district following Devon and Touhy
11 Avenues. The I-94 Edens Expressway serves as the border of a
12 portion of proposed RD 16 and proceeds north through the Morton
13 Grove portion. The artery street of Dempster serves as a border
14 in a portion of the northwest part of the district, as do
15 Highway 41, Skokie Boulevard, and Main Street in Skokie. On the
16 east side of proposed RD 16, Howard Street, Western/Asbury
17 Avenue and Ridge Boulevard all serve as borders. U.S. Highway
18 14/Peterson Ave and W. Devon Ave serve as borders in the
19 southern part of the district. Highway 14 keeps major traffic
20 patterns together by intersecting with Highway 41.  Several main
21 routes easily connect the communities throughout proposed RD
22 16, including Route 41/North Lincoln Avenue running southeast
23 to northwest through Chicago, Lincolnwood and Skokie, Route
24 50/Highway 41/Skokie Boulevard running north to south in Niles
25 Township, Devon Avenue and Touhy Avenue running east to west
26 and connecting the Chicago portion of proposed RD 16 to the
1 Niles Township portion.
2     Proposed RD 16 strives to keep several communities of
3 interest intact. Proposed RD 16, similar to current RD 16,
4 includes a portion of Chicago's West Ridge neighborhood, which
5 includes a community of Hasidic Jewish residents who generally
6 walk to religious services. Proposed RD 16 keeps together this
7 neighborhood as well as a group of Synagogues between Howard
8 Street to the north, McCormick Boulevard to the west, Peterson
9 Avenue to the south and Western Avenue to the east. Proposed RD
10 16 includes a portion of the North Park neighborhood, which is
11 home to the majority of Hispanic residents located within
12 proposed RD 16.
13     Proposed RD 16 maintains a majority of the core of current
14 RD 16 and preserves the incumbent-constituent relationship
15 developed over the last 12 election cycles.  The partisan
16 composition is almost identical to the current composition
17 under current RD 16.
18     Proposed RD 16 has an Asian voting-age population of 26.4%.
19 This population, while scattered throughout the district, is
20 most populous in the Niles Township area. This increase is due
21 to the fact that proposed RD 16 maintains similar boundaries
22 and adds high-percentages of Asian population areas in the
23 northwest and southwest corners of Niles Township. The Hispanic
24 voting-age population is 12.45% percent. The African American
25 voting-age population is 6.83%. The majority of the Hispanic
26 and African American population is centered in Chicago's 50th
1 Ward, the southeast part of the proposed RD 16.
4 population of 108,911.  Proposed RD 17 has a population of
6 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle.  Proposed
8 population shifts.
10 current RD 17. Proposed RD 17 moves a portion of the northern
11 border further south and extends the district further west.
12 Like current RD 17, proposed RD 17 includes the townships of
13 Evanston, Northfield, New Trier and Niles and the
14 municipalities of Evanston, Glenview, Golf, Morton Grove,
15 Northbrook, Skokie and Wilmette. Unlike current RD 17, proposed
16 RD 17 does not include the villages of Winnetka, Glencoe and
17 Northfield.
18     Proposed RD 17 is now more centralized in the north
19 suburban Chicago area. This brings more uniformity to a
20 district that was comprised of many split municipalities.  The
21 southern dip of proposed RD 17 reflects a change in wealth in
22 the municipality of Glenview.  The boundary line in Glenview,
23 which is in the central portion of the district, is Lake Avenue
24 and proposed RD 17 covers the area south of Lake. North of Lake
25 is now in proposed RD 18 and that area is made up of some of the
1 wealthiest residents of the north shore area.
2     Proposed RD 17 shares many of the resources available under
3 current RD 17.  For example, proposed RD 17 is still composed of
4 the following school districts: Avoca, Evanston Community
5 Consolidated SD 65, Glenview Community Consolidated SD 34, Golf
6 Elementary School SD 67, Morton Grove SD 70, Northbrook SD 28,
7 Northbrook/Glenview SD 30, Skokie SD 68, 69 & 73-5, West
8 Northfield SD 31 and Wilmette SD 39.  Proposed RD 17's
9 additional population east of McCormick Road attend the same
10 school (Evanston Community Consolidated SB 56) as those in the
11 northeastern part of the district.
12     Some of the larger employers in proposed RD 17 are: Pfizer,
13 Skokie Hospital, Woodward-MPC Airframe Systems, NorthShore
14 University Health System - Skokie Branch, Kraft Foods, ABT
15 Electronics, Glenbrook Hospital, and Anixter.
16     Proposed RD 17 offers several transportation options that
17 allow residents to get from one end of the district to the
18 other. McCormick Boulevard links the southeastern part of the
19 district to the northeastern part.  Dempster Street runs east
20 and west along the southern border.  Along this roadway you will
21 find many grocery stores, restaurants and other shopping
22 centers, but the importance of this road is how it links
23 commuters to the CTA's Yellow Line and the Edens Expressway
24 (I-94). Milwaukee Avenue/I-294 provides the west side of the
25 district with the same kind of access as the east side.  I-294
26 connects the district with the north and northwest suburbs.
1 Milwaukee Avenue runs northwest to southeast and gives the
2 district the ability to have an easily accessible road that
3 connects to O'Hare International Airport as well connecting the
4 district to many of the popular neighborhoods on the north side
5 of Chicago.
6     Proposed RD 17's boundaries preserve a large majority of
7 the core of current RD 17.  The partisan advantage in favor of
8 the incumbent increases compared to current RD 17.
9     Proposed RD 17 has a 16.61% Asian American voting-age
10 population, a 5.63% Hispanic voting-age population, and a 3.79%
11 African American voting-age population.
21 current RD 18. Proposed RD 18 is now an entirely suburban
22 district. The Chicago portion of current RD 18 is removed to
23 allow proposed RD 14 to gain population and preserve the Rogers
24 Park Neighborhood. Proposed RD 18 extends north along the
25 lakeshore and west into the northern suburbs. The borders of
1 proposed RD 18 through Evanston and Wilmette are similar to
2 current RD 18.
3     Like current RD 18, proposed RD 18 contains all or most of
4 Evanston, Kenilworth, Wilmette and Winnetka.  To increase
5 population, proposed RD 18 adds all of Northfield, and portions
6 of Glencoe, Glenview, and Northbrook. Proposed RD 18 continues
7 to have portions of Evanston and New Trier Townships, and adds
8 a large portion of Northfield Township.
9     With the increase in population in the northern suburbs,
10 transportation has become a major concern for residents,
11 especially commuters, who have to travel on congested east-west
12 corridors to reach major north-south highways or public
13 transportation hubs.  Commuters have increasingly become a
14 community of interest in the suburbs. Proposed RD 18 increases
15 the representation for the east-west transportation needs of
16 the region. Proposed RD 18 includes portions of three major
17 north-south roadways, including Green Bay Road in the east,
18 Interstate 94/Highway 41 in the center, and Waukegan Road/Route
19 43 on the western border.  Route 43 divides the village of
20 Northbrook along this major transportation corridor.  Proposed
21 RD 18 also includes portions of major east-west roadways,
22 including Willow Road in the central part of the district,
23 Dundee Road in the north, and Lake Cook Road in the northwest.
24 Proposed RD 18 also contains several major railroads, including
25 public transportation lines.
26     Proposed RD 18 also includes a greater portion of the North
1 Branch of the Chicago River and the Skokie Lagoon.  This major
2 watershed area is an important regional drainage area and
3 historic flood zone.  Additionally, much of the land in the new
4 western portion of proposed RD 18 is open space and wooded
5 areas which help absorb heavy rainwater throughout the
6 floodplain.  Combining more of this watershed into a single
7 district will help improve representation for the community of
8 interest along this floodplain and accounts for the large
9 geographic increase in the size of proposed RD 18.
10     Several major businesses and employers are kept together in
11 proposed RD 18, including Northwestern University, North Shore
12 University Health System, Underwriters Laboratories, Kraft
13 Foods and Stephan Company.  Several major religious sites are
14 located within proposed RD 18 and help preserve a diverse
15 religious community throughout the district.  Religious
16 landmarks include the Baha'i Temple in Wilmette, Society of the
17 Divine World Techny Towers in unincorporated Northfield
18 Township, the Lutheran Church of Ascension in Northfield,
19 Temple Jeremiah in Northfield, Beth Emet Synagogue in Evanston,
20 and the Unitarian Church of Evanston.
21     Proposed RD 18 has diverse communities of interest
22 reflected in the income ranges of different portions of the
23 district.  While much of proposed RD 18 has an upper-middle
24 class and upper class median incomes in excess of $100,000, the
25 southeastern portion of the district west of the CTA Purple
26 Line route is a middle class community of interest with median
1 incomes ranging between $50,000 and $100,000. The lakefront is
2 an upper class community of interest, with median incomes
3 exceeding $150,000.  The area further west of the major
4 Interstate and lakefront is an upper-middle class community of
5 interest with median incomes ranging from $100,000 to $150,000.
6     The boundaries of proposed RD 18 maintain a significant
7 portion of the core of current RD 18.  The partisan advantage in
8 favor of the incumbent drops compared to current RD 18.
9     There are significant Jewish populations dispersed
10 throughout proposed RD 18 that are preserved as a community of
11 interest in parts of Evanston, Northbrook, Glencoe, Wilmette
12 and Winnetka. Additionally, proposed RD 18 has an African
13 American voting-age population of 10.55%, a Hispanic
14 voting-age population of 5.67%, and an Asian voting-age
21 RD 19 is different in shape from current RD 19 due in part to
25 current RD 19.  The northern and eastern borders of the district
1 stayed relatively the same; however, due to population change,
2 proposed RD 19 shifted to the south and the west to include
3 more of the 36th Ward and Harwood Heights. The areas added
4 share many commonalities with current RD 19. The wards,
5 townships and neighborhoods of proposed RD 19 all remain the
6 same as under current RD 19. By keeping those areas the same,
7 residents of proposed RD 19 will be able to maintain the same
8 quality city services, schools, parishes and community
9 activities that have been available to them.
10     Proposed RD 19 is located on the northwest side of the City
11 of Chicago and the suburbs of Harwood Heights and Norridge.
12 Proposed RD 19 consists of parts of the 36th, 38th, 41st and
13 45th wards in Chicago, which includes the neighborhoods of
14 Dunning, Forest Glen, Jefferson Park, Norwood Park and Portage
15 Park.  The boundary lines of proposed RD 19 consist of Devon
16 Avenue on the north, the Edens Expressway (I-94) on the east,
17 the Milwaukee Railroad on the south, and Schiller Woods Forest
18 Preserve on the west.
19     Chicago's 45th Ward makes up a majority of proposed RD 19
20 (it is separated along essentially the same line as under
21 current RD 19) and dominates the northern and eastern parts of
22 proposed RD 19 with the neighborhoods of Jefferson Park and
23 Portage Park. Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's most diverse
24 neighborhoods because of its rich history of Irish, Polish and
25 Hispanic immigrants that have settled in the area and raised
26 families. Those ethnic groups also make up a significant
1 portion of the local businesses in the area. The neighborhood
2 has maintained its features because, unlike other Chicago
3 neighborhoods, it has not experienced the same level of urban
4 sprawl. There are new condos that make up portions of the
5 neighborhood, but for the most part it consists of many single
6 family homes and families that have lived in the area for
7 generations. The rest of the ward includes Portage Park, which
8 is also located within then 38th Ward. The neighborhood is
9 known for its quality schools, parishes and thriving business
10 community along Milwaukee Avenue.  These two neighborhoods make
11 up a significant portion of the Hispanic population in proposed
12 RD 19, mostly populated in the southern part of Jefferson Park
13 and the northeastern part of Portage Park, is kept intact as a
14 community of interest.
15     The 38th Ward, the next largest Ward in proposed RD 19,
16 consists of portions of Portage Park and Dunning. Portage Park
17 overlaps into both the 45th and 38th wards and makes up the
18 eastern part that runs through the middle of current and
19 proposed RD 19. The Dunning neighborhood runs along the
20 southern part to the western part of proposed RD 19 where it
21 bumps up against the suburb of Harwood Heights.
22     The 36th Ward, located in the western part of proposed RD
23 19, includes portions of Dunning.  This portion of the Dunning
24 neighborhood is made up of many single family homes and is
25 spaced out because of its large cemeteries and forest preserve
26 areas.  This open space creates a quiet atmosphere in the city
1 which brings in a lot of city workers that must meet residency
2 requirements.
3     The villages of Norridge and Harwood Heights are north of
4 the 36th Ward.  These small communities are made up of single
5 family homes surrounded by a busy business community.  Over the
6 years there have been some small condo developments, but those
7 are limited to the busier roads like Harlem and Montrose
8 Avenues.  These communities are included to a greater extent in
9 proposed RD 19 to allow all of Union Ridge School District to
10 be included in the same district rather than splitting it into
11 two districts.
12     The far northwestern border of proposed RD 19 is the 41st
13 Ward, which is made up of the neighborhood of Norwood Park.
14 This neighborhood, much like the other neighborhoods in current
15 and proposed RD 19, is made up of old Cape Cod, bungalow and
16 ranch homes that are inhabited by many city workers.
17     Socioeconomically, the district is very homogeneous.  While
18 some portions of the northside of proposed RD 19 may be
19 wealthier than the middle part of the district, the area is
20 still predominantly working-middle class, with a median income
21 ranging from around $44,000 to about $99,000. This
22 characteristic is consistent with current RD 19.
23     Minority populations primarily residing within specific
24 areas of proposed RD 19 are preserved as a community of
25 interest. In the Dunning community, a majority of the African
26 American population resides along Oak Park Avenue on the east,
1 Irving Park Road on the south, Harlem on the west, and Forest
2 Preserve Avenue on the north. Hispanics within proposed RD 19
3 mainly reside in the southeast part of proposed RD 19 in the
4 Dunning and Portage Park neighborhoods.
5     Proposed RD 19 maintains a majority of the core of current
6 RD 19 and preserves the incumbent-constituent relationship
7 created over the past 7 election cycles.  The partisan advantage
8 in favor of the incumbent drops very slightly compared to
10     Proposed RD has an African American voting-age population
11 of .97%, an Asian voting-age population of 6.41%, and a
12 Hispanic voting-age population of 17.43%.
21     Proposed RD 20 includes  portions of current RDs 15, 20, 57,
22 65, and 77. Nearly half of the residents in proposed RD 20 live
23 in current RD 20. The proposed district maintains a large
24 portion of Chicago and Norridge and the northeastern boundary
25 of proposed RD 20 is essentially the same as current RD 20. To
1 gain the appropriate population, proposed RD 20 acquires
2 territory to the west, a change that reflects the growing
3 suburban nature of residents. This westward expansion is broken
4 down into two areas for ease of description: northwestern and
5 southwestern.  These two expansion areas take in portions of the
6 suburban communities of Park Ridge, Rosemont and Schiller Park
7 and share common characteristics with the portion of Chicago
8 contained in proposed RD 20.
9     The northwestern expansion area: The westernmost boundary
10 is created by I-294 and the Northwest Highway, appropriate and
11 natural boundaries that are easily recognizable to
12 constituents. The border follows Ridgewood Cemetery and the
13 Golf Glen Shopping Center along Dee Road, adjusting slightly to
14 take in population, and then moving over to Western Avenue to
15 take in Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Proposed RD 20 then
16 turns east onto Oakton Avenue, moves over into Niles along the
17 border of the current RD 20 map. The northwestern expansion
18 area takes in a portion of Park Ridge because of the need to
19 add population and the commonalities between residents of Park
20 Ridge and others living in proposed RD 20.
21     The southwestern expansion area: The westernmost boundary
22 is created by O'Hare International Airport, just outside the
23 district, while the Des Plaines River helps to create a natural
24 boundary in this expansion area. The southern border of
25 southwestern expansion area follows Belmont Avenue then moves
26 north along the eastern side of the O'Hare International
1 Airport and Mannheim Road.  Proposed RD 20 moves an eastern
2 direction along Touhy Avenue, then southeast to catch the Des
3 Plaines River and the Kennedy Expressway. This expansion takes
4 in the entire community of Schiller Park, a large portion of
5 Rosemont, and portions of Franklin Park and Des Plaines.  These
6 borders allow the neighborhoods surrounding Maine South High
7 School to remain intact and within other districts located
8 between the two westward expansion areas, while recognizing
9 that the residents of the southwestern expansion area share
10 commonalities with others living in proposed RD 20.
11 Additionally, the southwestern expansion of proposed RD 20
12 includes Chevalier Woods and Robinson Woods North, both under
13 the jurisdiction of the Cook County Forest Preserves. They are
14 two of the more northern forest preserves in a chain of several
15 Cook County Forest Preserves.  This southwestern expansion
16 keeps a string of five small forest preserves and the
17 neighborhoods that surround them together in one district. The
18 other three forest preserves that are in current RD 20 are
19 Robinson Woods, Schiller Woods North, Che-Che-Pin-Qua Woods.
20 They remain intact in proposed RD 20.
21     Proposed RD 20 includes the entire community of Schiller
22 Park, larger portions of Norridge and Chicago, and sections of
23 Des Plaines, Niles, Park Ridge, Rosemont, Harwood Heights and
24 Franklin Park.  Most of proposed RD 20 is in Cook County Board
25 District 17, but there are sections of County Board District 12
26 (similar to the current district), County Board District 15 and
1 County Board District 16. Proposed RD 20 contains portions of
2 Chicago, Leyden, Niles, Maine and Norwood Park Townships, with
3 expansion into more of Niles, Norwood Park, Leyden Township,
4 and Maine townships. Those additions are made to reach equal
5 population.
6     Proposed RD 20 contains portions of Chicago Wards 36 and
7 41. These Wards include portions of the neighborhoods of
8 Dunning, Norwood Park and O'Hare, as well as all of Edison
9 Park.  Dunning shares a border with Chicago's suburbs, is mostly
10 residential, and includes a significant amount of residential
11 green space and commercial areas.  Norwood Park has winding
12 roads, rather than typical Chicago street grid, has a lot of
13 green space, is mostly residential and has some commercial
14 areas. The O'Hare neighborhood is mostly residential, includes
15 acres of green space and has some commercial areas of
16 restaurants and stores.  These Chicago neighborhoods are
17 similar to the near northwest suburbs that are included in
18 proposed RD 20, which also have mostly single-family homes with
19 larger lots and areas with large parks. There are fewer public
20 transportation options in this section of Chicago, with more of
21 a reliance on personal vehicles.  I-90, I-290 and I-294 all run
22 through the district.  All of these communities are linked by
23 Routes 14, 21, 43, 49, and the Chicago Northwestern Rail Road.
24     Proposed RD 20 contains a portion of the Chicago Public
25 School District 299, Des Plaines CCSD 62, East Maine SD 63,
26 Norridge SD 80, Park Ridge CCSD 64, Niles ESD 71, Pennoyer SD
1 79, Rosemont ESD 78 and Schiller Park SD 81.  The CPS schools
2 located in the proposed and current RD 20 are considered some
3 of the best in the city and are a draw for many families to the
4 area.  This is evidenced by high test scores and stable property
5 values. Similar to the suburbs located in proposed RD 20, the
6 section of the district that is served by CPS is an area with
7 middle class families and an established housing stock. The two
8 expansion areas also include additional green space and parks,
9 something that is valued by local residents who choose to live
10 in a less dense population area as compared to those a few
11 miles east.
12     Proposed RD 20, as a whole, constitutes a community of
13 interest bound by access to high quality schools and
14 middle/upper middle class housing stock, as well as a shared
15 identity in terms of shopping options, transit, and access to
16 government services. While the residents of proposed RD 20 may
17 work in Chicago, and some may actually live within the city's
18 boundaries, there exists a clear identity that separates
19 proposed and current RD 20 residents from being associated with
20 the city's more urban areas. Residents of proposed RD 20, in
21 both the Chicago portion and the suburban areas, form a
22 community of interest by their distinctly suburban nature, as
23 can be seen in their housing stock, travel patterns and income.
24 Income levels in the proposed RD 20 vary from $44,000 to
25 $250,001, with most of families in the $44,000 to $99,000
26 range.
1     The partisan advantage in favor of the incumbent increases
2 slightly compared to current RD 20.
3     Proposed RD 20 contains 1.25% African-American voting-age
14     Proposed RD 21 includes portions of current RDs 1, 2, 21,
15 23, and 24. Proposed RD 21 is located entirely within Cook
16 County and includes portions of Bedford Park, Chicago, Cicero,
17 Forest View, Lyons, McCook, Riverside, Stickney, and Summit.
18 Proposed RD 21 strives to keep together several communities of
19 interest and transportation hubs, including major roadways and
20 railways.
21     Proposed RD 21 includes portions of the Chicago
22 neighborhoods of Archer Heights, Brighton Park, Garfield
23 Ridge, Lower West Side , McKinley Park, and South Lawndale. The
24 Lower West Side and McKinley Park communities included in
25 proposed RD 21 are minimal in terms of population and land size
1 and reflect the border's path along a railroad and Western
2 Avenue.  The eastern border of proposed RD 21 crosses over the
3 Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to include residents in the
4 Brighton Park neighborhood, including those with a lower median
5 income, who are similar to many other residents in proposed RD
6 21. On the western end of proposed RD 21, the district
7 incorporates a portion of the minority population, which was a
8 factor in splitting Cicero.
9     Proposed RD 21 has a lower-middle median income.  This
10 creates a community of interest that spans virtually the entire
11 proposed RD 21, with the exceptions of a higher income area in
12 Riverside and an upper-middle income census block in the
13 Garfield Ridge area of Chicago.  The majority of proposed RD 21
14 also shares similar housing stock.
15     Because proposed RD 21 is a combination of population from
16 other districts, it is impossible to compare its Hispanic
17 voting-age population under the current plan to the proposed
18 district. However,  the vast majority of its population comes
19 from current RD 23 (81.15% Hispanic voting-age population) and
20 current RD 1 (74.14%), so it is fair to say that proposed RD
21 21's Hispanic voting-age population represents a drop in
22 percentage.
3 population of 111,664. Proposed RD 22 has 108,734 people, the
5 "one person, one vote" principle. Proposed RD 22 is different
6 in shape from current RD 22 due, in part, to population shifts
7 and the need to decrease the total population of the district
8 by 2,930.
9     Proposed RD 22 includes portions of  current RDs 21, 22, 23,
10 31, and 32. Of the population in proposed RD 22, 45.50% reside
11 in current RD 22.  The geographic territory of the district is
12 considerably reduced to become more compact, contiguous and
13 square.
14     Proposed RD 22's boundaries expand a modest degree to the
15 northwest, north, northeast and east, while retracting
16 significantly in the west and southwest.  The following Chicago
17 wards are in proposed RD 22: most of the 13th Ward,  small
18 portions of the 14th, 15th, and 16th   Wards, and approximately
19 half of the 23rd Ward.
20     Proposed RD 22 contains several Chicago neighborhoods,
21 including most of West Elsdon, and portions of Gage Park and
22 Archer Heights in the northeast; half of Garfield Ridge in the
23 northwest; all of Clearing; all of West Lawn; a small portion
24 of Ashburn in the southeast; and a portion of Chicago Lawn on
25 the east.  Small portions of the suburban towns of Bedford Park
26 and Burbank located in current RD 22 remain in proposed RD 22,
1 while Bridgeview, Burr Ridge, Countryside, Justice, Hodgkins,
2 Indian Head Park, and Willow Springs are removed from proposed
3 RD 22.  Removing these towns allows the district to be more
4 compact.  A small portion of the eastern half of the Bedford
5 Park neighborhood is an industrial area with rail yards and it
6 is separated from the more populated western half of the
7 neighborhood by the major north-south arterial road Harlem
8 Avenue.  The eastern portion of Bedford Park is included in
9 proposed RD 22 while the more populous, less industrial western
10 half is in the adjacent proposed RD 23. Whereas current RD 22
11 split portions of five Cook County Board Districts, proposed RD
12 22 splits only two Districts.
13     Both current and proposed RD 22 includes Chicago's Midway
14 International Airport, a major economic engine for the city and
15 significant employer of residents in both the current and
16 proposed RD 22. Midway, like most airports, is a major economic
17 engine that binds the area as a community of common interest.
18 Many local residents work at the airport in various capacities
19 or in the multiple service industry businesses around the
20 airport including hotels, restaurants, and transportation and
21 parking services.  The airport also dictates characteristics of
22 the community including economic development projects,
23 construction, traffic congestion, noise policing and public
24 safety, all contributing to a community of interest that is
25 best served by being kept in proposed RD 22.
26     The economic makeup of much of proposed RD 22 is fairly
1 homogeneous, with an average family income range from $44,000
2 to $99,000. The majority of the district falls between $44,000
3 and $68,000, with a segment of Gage Park with a median income
4 of less than $44,000 and segments in Garfield Ridge and
5 Clearing with a median income between $68,000 and $99,000.  A
6 large portion of proposed RD 22 is made up of grid streets with
7 single-family "bungalow" homes.  Proposed RD 22 allows for a
8 community of economic parity in terms of income, housing
9 values, and quality of living, to remain in one district.
10     Proposed RD 22 preserves the eastern core of the district
11 and, at least to that extent, preserves the
12 incumbent-constituent relationship that has existed since
13 1971.  The partisan composition  of proposed RD 22 is higher than
14 the current partisan composition of current RD 22. For more
15 discussion of the boundaries of proposed RD 22, refer to the
16 summary of proposed RD 24.
17     The Hispanic population in the city is growing on the
18 Southwest Side and  proposed RD 22 keeps this community of
19 interest together.  Proposed RD 22 has an African American
20 voting-age population of 2.55%, a Hispanic voting-age
21 population of 60.21%, and an  Asian voting-age population of
22 1.07%.
5 of the district by 4,307.
6     Proposed RD 23 is a collection of suburban Cook County
7 communities west of Chicago. Proposed RD 23 includes portions
8 of current RDs 8, 21, 22, 23, 31, 41, and 82. The northern
9 border of proposed RD 23 extends north to encompass much of the
10 town of Riverside, which is currently divided into three
11 representative districts. The northern and eastern boundary
12 extends to include small  portions of Berwyn and a large portion
13 of Cicero, while removing portions of La Grange, La Grange
14 Park, and Chicago.
15     Proposed RD 23 takes in CSX-Bedford Park on the southeast
16 and loosely runs along  LaGrange Road on the west and west along
17 83rd Street and 87th Street on the southern border.
18     Proposed RD 23 contains several major roadways and key
19 intersections that serve as major transportation and freight
20 corridors connecting several communities throughout the
21 region. Ogden Avenue and the north-south corridors of Harlem
22 Avenue, Archer Avenue, and La Grange Road (Highway 12/45) allow
23 commercial and residential travelers to access the
24 interstates.  The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and Des
25 Plaines River also bisect proposed RD 23, providing additional
26 shipping and commercial corridors.
1     Proposed RD 23 contains all or portions  of McCook,
2 Riverside, Summit, Berwyn, Brookfield, Cicero, Countryside, La
3 Grange, La Grange Park, Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Hickory
4 Hills, Hodgkins and Justice.  Proposed RD 23 contains the
5 following townships: Berwyn, Lyons, Proviso, Riverside, and
6 Stickney. For more discussion of the boundaries of proposed RD
7 23, refer to the summary of proposed RD 24.
8     The majority of proposed RD 23 has an average median income
9 of $44,205 to $68,654, with small portions throughout the area
10 reaching a median income up to $99,000 and La Grange and
11 Riverside incomes reaching further to $148,000. A small section
12 in Berwyn and a segment in Cicero have a median income of less
13 than $44,205.
14     The partisan composition of proposed RD 23 is similar to
15 current RD 21, the incumbent's current district.
16     Proposed RD 23 has an African America voting-age population
17 of 4.07%, Hispanic voting-age population of 46.27%, and an
2     Proposed RD 24 includes most of Berwyn, a large portion of
3 Cicero, portions of Riverside, Brookfield, and Stickney, and
4 parts of Chicago's 22nd Ward. The southern border is made up of
5 the city limits of Cicero and Berwyn, with the exception of the
6 largely non-residential areas around Hawthorn Racecourse. The
7 southern border also picks up a small part of the municipality
8 of Stickney on the village's northwest side. The northern
9 border is primarily along 15th Street in Berwyn and 26th Street
10 in Cicero. Proposed RD 24 heads east into Chicago's South
11 Lawndale community, which includes portions of Little Village.
12 The proposed district extends southwest to add portions of
13 Riverside and Brookfield.
14     The boundaries and minority composition of proposed RD 24
15 were the subject of much debate.  In an initial configuration of
16 representative districts on the south side of Chicago,
17 contained in House Amendment # 1 to House Bill 3760, there were
18 complaints from minority voting rights organizations and
19 others about the dispersion of Hispanic voting-age population
20 among certain representative districts.  Specifically, the
21 complaints were directed at the allocation of this population
22 among proposed RDs 1 (78.29%), 21 (75.20%), 22 (51.96%), and 24
23 (75.92%).  A subsequent proposal drafted by House and Senate
24 Democratic staff, never filed as legislation, attempted to even
25 out the allocation and resulted in Hispanic voting-age
26 population as follows: 68.26% for proposed RD 1; 60.14% for
1 proposed RD 21; 60.21% for proposed RD 22; and 87.45% for
2 proposed RD 24.  The proposal and attempt to settle differences
3 were complicated by the fact that representative districts are
4 "nested" in legislative (Senate) districts, and thus any change
5 in representative boundaries could affect the composition of
6 Senate districts.  They were further complicated by the desire
7 not to encroach on the population of adjacent proposed RD 6,
8 because of its population needs and composition.
9     Further criticism resulted from the proposal described
10 above, not over the Hispanic voting-age populations for
11 proposed RDs 1, 21, or 22, but over proposed RD 24's 87.45%
12 figure.  As a result of discussions and attempts at a political
13 compromise, and to avoid any claim of unnecessary packing of a
14 minority in a single district that was raised by interested and
15 expert parties, the boundaries of proposed RD 24 are now drawn
16 such that the Hispanic voting-age population of proposed RD 24
17 is changed from its current 2011 figure of 78.44% to 69.93%,
18 and adjacent proposed RD 23 would now have a Hispanic
19 voting-age population of 46.27% compared to 27.28% as
20 originally proposed in House Bill 3760.
21     Proposed RD 24 has a Hispanic voting-age population of
22 69.93%, an African American voting-age population of 2.56%, and
23 an Asian voting-age population of 1.29%.
7     Proposed RD 25, like current RD 25, is a highly urban
8 district with great cultural, economic, religious and ethnic
9 diversity located along the shores of Lake Michigan on
10 Chicago's South Side.  Proposed RD 25 is similar to current RD
11 25, preserving ties of current communities of interest while
12 expanding to the north and south in order to make up for a
13 substantial loss of population over the last 10 years. Of its
14 population, 67.41% reside in current RD 25.
15     As with current RD 25, proposed RD 25 includes Chicago
16 Wards 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 20. Larger portions of Wards 8 and 10
17 are added to acquire the necessary population. Proposed RD 25
18 expands on the current RD 25's territory in Kenwood on the
19 northern edge of the district, keeps its Hyde Park boundary
20 line unchanged following Ellis Avenue, keeps mostly to the same
21 boundary lines as it moves through Woodlawn, moves further to
22 the east in South Shore in a stair step fashion, retains much
23 of South Chicago, before swinging west to take in a third of
24 Calumet Heights, expanding its western and southern boundaries
25 in the northeastern corner of South Deering, before moving
26 south to take in nearly all of the East Side, and then taking a
1 zig zag pattern to exclude largely industrial areas in the
2 northwestern corner of Hegewisch while capturing park and
3 residential areas in its northeastern corner, turning north to
4 follow the border of Illinois and Indiana before terminating in
5 Lake Michigan.
6     Like current RD 25, proposed RD 25 includes major medical,
7 educational, and cultural institutions, including the
8 University of Chicago and its affiliated medical center, La
9 Rabida Children's Hospital, the Museum of Science and Industry,
10 Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, the Smart Museum of Art, and
11 numerous theological seminaries.  These institutions employ and
12 educate people who live in neighborhoods within and surrounding
14     Proposed RD 25 maintains the core of current RD 25 and
15 preserves the incumbent-constituency relationship, which is
16 very important in this district since the incumbent has been
17 serving the community for 32 years and has a very strong
18 relationship with the residents as well as the community
19 itself.  The population and boundary shifts result in a very
20 high drop in African-American voting-age population and a
21 strong gain in Hispanic voting-age population.  The partisan
22 composition is relatively unchanged from current to proposed RD
23 25.
24     Proposed RD 25 preserves an African American community in
25 the center, a Hispanic community in the south, and an Asian
26 community in the northern part. Proposed RD 25 has an African
1 American voting-age population of 50.42%, a Hispanic
2 voting-age population of 21.79%, and an Asian voting-age
3 population of 5.00%.
10 population shifts and the need to decrease the total population
13 current RD 26. Proposed RD 26 has many similarities to current
14 RD 26, keeping much of the same shape that has been in
15 existence for the past 10 years.
16     Like current RD 26, proposed RD 26 includes the 2nd, 3rd,
17 4th, 5th, 20th, 42nd and 43rd wards in the City of Chicago.
18 Proposed RD 26 adds portions from the 7th, 8th and 10th wards
19 while removing a portion of the 6th Ward found in current RD
20 26.  These changes help proposed RD 26 remove the necessary
21 population, maintain the core of current RD 26, and help
22 adjoining proposed districts preserve communities of interest.
23     To keep proposed RD 26 close to its current form, it
24 maintains the same 43rd Ward northern boundary, with Lake
25 Michigan serving as the eastern boundary for the northern
1 portion of the district.  To reduce population, proposed RD 26
2 moves its most western boundary closer starting just north of
3 Division Street on the near north side until the northern half
4 of the 4th Ward.  It resumes a western border close, or
5 identical, to current RD 26 as it moves through the rest of the
6 4th Ward. Proposed RD 26 keeps the same western boundary in the
7 first half of the 20th Ward as the current RD 26 and then moves
8 east in the southwestern 5th Ward to reduce population.  It then
9 stairsteps to the southeast through the northern 8th and
10 western 7th Ward. At its southern border in the 7th Ward,
11 proposed RD 26 stays close against the eastern side of the
12 Chicago Skyway, going no further than 91st Street and Metra's
13 South Chicago line tracks in its southeastern corner.
14     Included in proposed RD 26 are the neighborhoods of: Near
15 North Side, Loop, Near South Side, Douglas, Oakland, Grand
16 Boulevard, Kenwood, Hyde Park, Washington Park, Woodlawn,
17 South Shore, South Chicago and Calumet Heights.  These
18 neighborhoods are all connected by their proximity to downtown
19 Chicago and access to the numerous transportation lines that
20 exist within proposed RD 26.  Throughout proposed RD 26, the
21 Metra Electric and South Shore commuter rail lines give
22 residents access to southern parts of the city and the suburbs.
23 These provide easy access to the Chicago Loop's services,
24 merchants, restaurants, and recreational activities.
25     Proposed RD 26 contains a number of Chicago's most famous
26 institutions and attractions that give the district its unique
1 character, including the University of Chicago, Grant Park,
2 Navy Pier, McCormick Place, Soldier Field, John G. Shedd
3 Aquarium, Field Museum, Alder Planetarium, and DuSable Museum
4 of African American History.  All of these landmarks provide
5 great employment opportunities for residents, and the public
6 transit options, including buses, make it easy to get from one
7 end of the district to the other.  For an urban district,
8 proposed RD 26 includes significant amounts of open space,
9 including Grant Park, the lakefront's Burnham Park, Washington
10 Park, and the western portion of the Midway Plaisance.
11     These areas form a community of interest because the
12 residents share concerns about the lakefront including
13 maintenance of the beaches and pollution control.  In addition,
14 the residents of proposed RD 26 have a shared urban lifestyle,
15 forming a community of interest.
16     Proposed RD 26 preserves the core of the existing district.
17 The shifting of the boundaries, primarily to the west to
18 accommodate other districts' expansion and to the south to add
19 population, results in an increase in Hispanic voting-age
20 population and a small increase in the partisan incumbent
21 advantage.
24 5.81%, and an Asian voting-age population of 7.92%.
3 108,734 and is therefore compliant with the "one person, one
4 vote" principle. Proposed RD 27 is different in shape from
5 current RD 27 due in part to population shifts and the need to
6 increase the total population by 11,100.
7     Proposed RD 27 was drawn to increase its population,
8 preserve communities of influence, and increase its
9 compactness.  Proposed RD 27 adds population in Chicago and
10 expands its boundaries in several suburban communities to
11 achieve equal population.  Of the population in proposed RD 27,
12 75.73% reside in current RD 27.
13     Calumet Park is removed entirely from proposed RD 27 so it
14 can lie entirely within proposed RD 28. Palos Park is also
15 removed from proposed RD 27. Although it will still be split,
16 it will remain mostly in a single representative district and
17 entirely within one senatorial district adjacent to proposed RD
19     Proposed RD 27 shifts east in the City of Chicago to add
20 population while receding from parts of Blue Island, Beverly,
21 and the Washington Heights neighborhoods. Proposed RD 27
22 expands east into the Chicago neighborhoods of Morgan Park,
23 Roseland, West Pullman, and Chatham and adds more of the
24 suburban communities Alsip, Crestwood, Palos Heights and
25 Robbins. Additionally, proposed RD 27 takes in a small portion
26 of Orland Park to gain population.
1     Proposed RD 27 extends east to take in two stations along
2 the CTA Red Line "L" and the district continues to include
3 portions of the Rock Island Metra Line and the Electric South
4 Shore Metra Line. Several major north-side roads are included
5 in proposed RD 27, including the Dan Ryan Expressway, Western
6 Ave, Cicero Ave and Harlem Ave.  I-294 runs through the center
7 of proposed RD 27 and has an interchange at Cicero Ave.  127th
8 St. remains one of the few east-west corridors in the district.
9     Most of proposed RD 27 has a median income between $44,000
10 and $68,000.  Small areas in Chicago and large portions of the
11 western suburbs in proposed RD 27 have upper-middle class
12 incomes between $68,000 to $99,000, with some higher income
13 residents in Palos Heights and Orland Park earning a median
14 income between $99,000 and $148,000.
15     In addition to the socioeconomic division proposed RD 27
16 follows through Blue Island, the suburban community is racially
17 divided along proposed RD 27's boundary.  To the east and south
18 of proposed RD 27, Blue Island is more racially segregated
19 between Whites, African Americans and Hispanics.  The portion of
20 Blue Island within proposed RD 27 contains a middle-class
21 population that is more racially diverse.  This population is
22 more similar to the racially diverse populations of Alsip,
23 another Cook County suburban community.  Taking in more of Alsip
24 not only increases the population for proposed RD 27, but also
25 increases the racially diverse suburban community of interest
26 in proposed RD 27 as these minority populations are more
1 similar to each other than to the minority areas of Chicago.
2     Proposed RD 27's expansion meets the population target
3 while allowing the district to maintain its core and preserve
4 the incumbent-constituency relationship that has been formed
5 over the past 12 election cycles.  The incumbent has developed
6 strong relationships with her constituents, and strong ties to
7 the community, in over two decades representing this area.
8 Proposed RD 27 maintains the same overall partisan composition
9 of current RD 27 as it currently exists.  Proposed RD 27
10 contains roughly the same racial composition of the district as
11 originally drawn in 2001, with African-American voting-age
12 population dipping by over four percent.
19 108,734 and is therefore compliant with the "one person, one
20 vote" principle. Proposed RD 28 is different in shape from
21 current RD 28 primarily due to population shifts and the need
22 to increase the total population by 15,497 but maintains
23 current RD 28's basic shape.
25 current RD 28. Overall, the shape of proposed RD 28 is very
1 similar to current RD 28 and preserves linkages for current
2 communities of interest, as well as keeps currently joined
3 municipalities together. Proposed RD 28 has African American
4 core populations in Wards 9 and 34 in Chicago, as well as in
5 Calumet Park, Blue Island and Robbins.
6     Boundaries for proposed RD 28 are kept very similar to
7 current RD 28. Many municipalities in current RD 28 lost
8 population or had insignificant gains, especially Chicago,
9 therefore it was necessary to expand proposed RD 28 into cities
10 that grew, such as Tinley Park and Orland Park. The territory
11 added in this area in Oak Forest, Orland Park, and Tinley Park
12 are similar in income levels to Crestwood and Midlothian in the
13 geographic center of proposed RD 28.
14     Proposed RD 28 lies entirely within Cook County.  It
15 contains all or portions of the following townships: Calumet,
16 Worth, Bremen, Thornton, and Orland.  These are the same
17 townships in current RD 28.
18     Proposed RD 28 contains portions of the following cities,
19 towns, and villages: Chicago, Calumet Park, Blue Island,
20 Robbins, Crestwood, Midlothian, Oak Forest, Orland Park and
21 Tinley Park. All of these municipalities, except for Tinley
22 Park, are already included in current RD 28.
23     Proposed RD 28 is served by the following school districts:
24 Chicago Public Schools 299, Calumet Public School District 132,
25 General George Patton School District 133, Cook County School
26 District 130, Posen-Robbins Elementary School District 143-5,
1 West Harvey-Dixmoor Public School District 147, Midlothian
2 School District 143, Forest Ridge School District 142,
3 Community Consolidated School District 146, Arbor Park School
4 District 145, Orland School District 135, and Kirby School
5 District 140.
6     Residents are moving from this area further into the South
7 Suburbs, south of I-80 and closer to the Cook-Will County
8 border. Proposed RD 28 has a diverse mix of income levels,
9 ranging from low income ($2,499-$44,205) to upper middle-class
10 ($98,750-$147,955). The low income census blocks are near the
11 northeastern corner of the district, starting in Chicago, and
12 concentrated around Blue Island and Robbins. The western half
13 of proposed RD 28 is more uniform in their median income.
14     Residents in proposed RD 28 share the concern of access to
15 reliable public transportation, mainly providing access to
16 jobs, both in Chicago and across Cook County. The residents
17 also care about improvements to local highways, construction of
18 Interstates 57, 94,  and 294, and the reduction of stress on
19 local roads that are used by trucks to switch highways.
20 Proposed RD 28 has easy access to multiple Metra stations with
21 Blue Island as the location where the Rock Island line splits.
22     Proposed RD 28's area east of I-294 is populated by a
23 majority of African Americans with some Hispanic residents in
24 the Blue Island area. Both the Chicago neighborhoods in the
25 southwest side of the city and the suburban areas in this
26 portion of proposed RD 28 share common concerns of urban
1 communities and have similar needs in terms of access to social
2 services. The eastern half of proposed RD 28 is also bound
3 economically by the fact that the residents are largely blue
4 collar and live in industrial communities bordered on the south
5 by Calumet Sag Channel which is used for barge traffic for
6 industry. Hispanics in the Blue Island community are majority
7 Catholic and live near  St. Donatus Parish.
8     West of I-294, proposed RD 28 maintains its shape, but the
9 need to add population requires proposed RD 28 to take in
10 larger portions of Orland Park  and Tinley Park south of Tinley
11 Creek Woods. This western portion of proposed RD 28 is a
12 suburban community of working class residents and retirees. The
13 areas added by proposed RD 28 are not as sprawling and affluent
14 as portions of Orland Park and Tinley Park  to the northwest and
15 southwest, and therefore fit more naturally with other
16 communities included in  proposed RD 28. This community is
17 largely centered by two major roads, Route 6 / 159th Street,
18 which provides access to downtown Chicago and the collar
19 counties, and Route 43 / Harlem Avenue, which provides access
20 to I-294.
21     The expansion of the proposed RD 28 maintains the core of
22 the current district and the general demographic makeup of
23 current RD 28.  Proposed RD 28 preserves the
24 incumbent-constituency relationships that have formed over the
25 past 4 election cycles.  The boundaries maintain the partisan
26 composition of the current district.  Proposed RD 28 drops its
1 African-American voting-age population by over eight percent
2 compared to the district as originally drawn in 2001.
3     Proposed RD 28 has an African American voting-age
5 7.98%, and an Asian voting-age population of 1.37%.
8 population of 96,394.  Proposed RD 29 has a population of
13 of the district.
14     Despite that change of population, proposed RD 29 is
15 similar to current RD 29 and maintains the core of the district
16 while adding communities that are similar to current RD 29. The
17 majority of proposed RD 29 contains residents  of current RD 29
18 and portions of current RDs 28, 30, 79, and 80.
19     Like current RD 29, proposed RD 29 includes portions of the
20 communities of Calumet City, Dolton, Burnham, Ford Heights,
21 Lansing, Lynwood, Glenwood, Thornton, and South Holland, as
22 well as portions of Chicago's 9th Ward.  The main difference
23 between current and proposed RD 29 is that proposed RD 29 goes
24 further south into the suburbs and Will County to pick up
25 communities that share the same interests and to achieve equal
2     The east side of the boundary is Route 394 which helps
3 create a natural boundary for the district, but also serves as
4 a major roadway for the constituents on the east side of the
5 district that need to go north or south.  On the south end of
6 the district, proposed RD 29 borders are made up of the
7 southern edges of Crete and Monee Townships in Will County.
8 These boundaries are defined geographic lines but also serve as
9 a separation from the more rural parts of Will County and the
10 more urban ones.  On the west side of the district, in the Cook
11 County portion, the boundary is State Street and Halsted.  These
12 two roads serve as natural boundaries for the district but also
13 serve as a means of transportation for the residents to get
14 north or south, but also connect them to several of the
15 highways in the district.  The north end of the district is in
16 the 9th ward in the West Pullman neighborhood.  This district
17 serves as a border and separates neighborhoods in the Chicago
18 part of the district.
19     Proposed RD 29 adds portions of  the communities of Chicago
20 Heights, Sauk Village, Steger, Crete, University Park and
21 Monee.  Over the years, there has been a shift in population
22 from Chicago into the south suburbs.  Now that shift in
23 population is moving from the near south suburbs to the
24 southern part of Cook County and into the collar counties.
25 Thus, proposed RD 29 extends into Will County to respond to
26 population shifts and to capture additional population to reach
1 equal population.  The new communities added to proposed RD 29
2 are similar demographically to communities in current RD 29,
3 and they share similar housing stock.
4     Prof. Robert Starks testified at the Chicago South hearing
5 that African Americans who moved from Chicago to south and
6 western suburbs should be incorporated into districts with
7 other African Americans.  He also testified that many African
8 Americans who moved south and west out of the city did not move
9 voluntarily but instead were forced out as a result of the
10 closure of public housing projects in the city.  Ten years ago,
11 the communities of Sauk Village, Steger and Crete, were
12 primarily Caucasian. Now these communities have a considerable
13 number of African Americans, reaching 75% of the voting-age
14 population in areas of Crete, Sauk Village, and Steger.
15 Proposed RD 29 keeps African Americans who have moved into the
16 areas of Crete, Sauk Village, and Steger together with African
17 Americans to the north.  These communities are added to current
18 RD 29 because the residents share similar incomes, racial
19 backgrounds, and lifestyles.  These communities relate more to a
20 suburban Chicago lifestyle than the rural lifestyle of southern
21 Will County.
22     Many of the thoroughfares in proposed RD 29 connect the
23 south end of the district with the north end and the city of
24 Chicago.  Many of the residents in proposed RD 29 use these
25 roadways to commute north to work, shop, and attend church.
26 Highways like Illinois Route 394, the border of the district,
1 connect proposed RD 29 directly to the south side of Chicago as
2 well as Downtown Chicago.  Dixie Highway, which is centrally
3 located in proposed RD 29, links the southern part of the
4 district to the northern part and gives residents access to
5 many local businesses, universities, colleges, and the
6 neighboring south suburbs.  The other main north south highway
7 is I-57.  This highway gives residents on the west side of
8 proposed RD 29 a highway that connects them to the other south
9 suburbs as well as an alternative route into the city of
10 Chicago.  All of these north-south roads are connected in the
11 central part of the district by Interstate 80 which gives
12 residents access to the western suburbs and Indiana.
13     Other points of interest that link proposed RD 29 together
14 are that the majority of the residents in these communities
15 have more in common with the south suburbs of Chicago than the
16 rural sections of Will County.  These areas are not farmland.
17 They are more urban and have more of a suburban feel than a
18 rural one.  In fact, many of the high schools in these
19 communities compete against the south suburban schools more so
20 than they do against any of the areas to the south of them in
22     Socioeconomically, proposed RD 29 is fairly homogeneous.
23 While portions in the northern part of the district are at a
24 lower median income level, the majority of proposed RD 29 is
25 made up of middle working class families having median income
26 of $44,000 to $99,000.  As with the majority of the other
1 demographics, this trait is similar to what it is under current
3     Proposed RD 29 maintains the core of the existing district
4 and nearly the same partisan composition.  The African-American
5 voting-age population was 55.23% in the district as originally
6 drawn in 2001 and climbed to over 68% in 2011.  With proposed RD
7 29, the voting-age population for African-Americans drops to
8 61.89%.
9     Proposed RD 29 contains a Hispanic voting-age population of
10 5.30% and an Asian voting-age population of 0.72%.
13 population of 98,066.  Proposed RD 30 has a population of
19     Proposed RD 30 includes 73.04% of current RD 30, with
20 expansions necessary to achieve equal population. Proposed RD
21 30 removes a section of the city of Chicago on the northern
22 edge and expands the boundaries to the south and west to
23 achieve equal population. With these changes, proposed RD 30 is
24 an entirely suburban district.
25     At the southernmost point of the district, proposed RD 30
1 extends west to include more of Homewood and maintains the most
2 populous part of Homewood in one district. To gain population,
3 proposed RD 30 extends west of the westernmost boundary of
4 current RD 30 in to Oak Forest.  The boundary of current RD 30
5 expands southwest to the border shared by the cities of Harvey
6 and Markham. Proposed RD 30 keeps completely intact Posen,
7 Dixmoor, Phoenix, and East Hazel Crest and keeps most of Harvey
8 and Homewood in one district.
9     Proposed RD 30 does not split more townships than current
10 RD 30.  Unlike current RD 30, proposed RD 30 includes a small
11 portion of northeast Rich Township. The split in Rich Township
12 occurs to maintain the base of Homewood and achieve equal
13 population.
14     The income levels in proposed RD 30 vary, as in current RD
15 30, with the lowest incomes ranging from $2,499 to $44,000 and
16 higher incomes of $68,000 to $148,000 along the western and
17 southern sections.
18     Despite the boundary changes, proposed RD 30 maintains the
19 core of its existing district and preserves the
20 incumbent-constituency relationships that have formed over
21 much of the last decade.  The boundary adjustments maintain
22 approximately the same partisan composition of current RD 30 as
23 it exists in 2011.  The African-American population of the
24 district has dropped compared to the district as it was
25 originally drawn in 2001.
12 current  RD 31. Proposed RD 31 extends to the southwestern
13 suburbs to gain necessary population. Like current RD 31,
14 proposed RD 31 remains mostly in the city of Chicago. Proposed
15 RD 31 moves into the southwestern suburbs of Chicago Ridge,
16 Palos Hills, Hometown, Willow Springs, Hodgkins, Countryside,
17 and Burr Ridge in order to gain population.
18     With this expansion, proposed RD 31 maintains similar
19 median incomes and reflects the general trend of Chicago
20 residents moving west. Socioeconomically, proposed RD 31 is
21 predominately made up of working class families. There are many
22 transportation corridors and options available in this area in
23 order to get to work each day.  Proposed RD 31 contains three
24 Metra lines: the Heritage line runs through the northwest
25 portion of proposed RD 31; the Rock Island-Main line runs
1 through the eastern portion; and the SouthWest Service line
2 runs through the northeast and central portions of proposed RD
4     Proposed RD 31 maintains the core of its district and
5 preserves an incumbent-constituent relationship that has
6 existed since 1985; the incumbent is one of the House's
7 longest-serving members.  The African-American population drops
8 by seven percent, primarily due to the expanded western and
9 northwestern boundaries, which pick up an overwhelmingly
10 Caucasian and, to a far lesser extent, Hispanic population.  The
11 partisan advantage for the incumbent diminishes slightly under
12 proposed RD 31 compared to current RD 31, also due to the west
13 and northwest expansion.
16 6.21%, and an Asian voting-age population of 1.1%.
21 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle.  Proposed
22 RD 32 is different in shape from current RD 32 due, in large
23 part, to population shifts and the need to increase the total
24 population of the district by over 15,000 people.
1 current RD 32. Proposed RD 32 has slight variations in its
2 borders within the City of Chicago and expands west of Pulaski
3 Avenue into suburban Cook County, in part to gain population,
4 without adversely affecting the communities of interest within
5 the district. Chicago's border in proposed RD 32 is very
6 similar in shape to current RD 32.  In both current and proposed
7 RD 32, Kennedy-King College anchors its eastern end.  In its
8 western half, the territory added to proposed RD 32 is similar
9 in shape and boundary lines to current RD 32. Proposed RD 32
10 extends into the suburban Cook County communities of Burbank,
11 Bridgeview, Justice, Hickory Hills and Oak Lawn to gain
12 population.  At proposed RD 32's western terminus in Justice,
13 the district includes a group of African American residents,
14 otherwise isolated in that region but sharing a community of
15 interest with African American residents in the eastern half of
16 the district. Proposed RD 32 has a Hispanic community of
17 interest west of Central Park Avenue that extends from the city
18 into the district's suburban communities.
19     Proposed RD 32 recedes entirely from Chicago's 16th Ward
20 and from small portions of Chicago Wards 13, 15, and 18. The
21 portion of Ward 18 removed is in the Chicago Lawn and West Lawn
22 neighborhoods, which consists primarily of Hispanic residents.
23 This was done, in part, to add population and increase the
24 Hispanic residents within the adjoining district. Marquette
25 Park, a non-residential park, which is in current RD 32, is not
26 included in proposed RD 32. The removal provides a natural
1 boundary for proposed RD 32.  Proposed RD 32 also recedes
2 entirely out of the 16th Ward; like current RD 32, proposed RD
3 32 continues to contain portions of Chicago Wards 6, 13, 15,
4 17, 18, 20 and 21 and the neighborhoods of Ashburn, Chicago
5 Lawn, Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing, West Englewood and
6 Woodlawn.
7     The boundaries of proposed RD 32 reflect the competing
8 goals of preserving the existing district balanced against the
9 need to obtain a significant amount of population to reach the
10 equal population target.  The largest expansion, the move
11 westward for this population, adds Hispanic and Caucasian
12 population.  The African-American voting-age population of the
13 district, which had held steady since 2001 at approximately
14 68%, now drops significantly to 52%.
17 15.86%, and an Asian-American voting-age population of 1.34%.
19     According to 2010 Census, current RD 33 has a population of
20 93,407. Proposed RD 33 has a population of 108,734, the
22 "one person, one vote" principle. Proposed RD 33 is different
23 in shape from current RD 33 due, in part, to population shifts
24 and the need to increase the total population of the district
25 by 15,327.
2 current RD 33. Many of the borders in the northern end of
3 proposed RD 33 are identical to current RD 33, but proposed RD
4 33 moves south to capture the communities of Burnham, Calumet
5 City, Lansing, Lynwood, Sauk Village and a tiny sliver in Ford
6 Heights. Proposed RD 33 is located entirely within Cook County.
7     The southern border of proposed RD 33 is formed by the
8 Cook-Will County line and runs from the Illinois-Indiana state
9 line to S. Torrence Avenue, a major north-south roadway.  The
10 western border follows Torrence Avenue north to Interstate
11 80/94, with some adjustments along the border of the Lansing
12 Woods Forest Preserve and other areas to achieve equal
13 population.  Heading east on I-80/94, the border moves north
14 largely along Burnham Road, with slight adjustments for
15 population. Just past Michigan City Road, the border follows
16 several streets, mainly to pick up needed population, before
17 moving northwest along the Chicago South Shore and South Bend
18 Railroad Line. The border follows the rail line until it
19 rejoins S. Torrence Avenue, and then moves northwest along the
20 Chicago and Western Indiana Railroad Line.  Proposed RD 33 then
21 follows S. Cottage Grove Avenue north, turning east along E.
22 79th Street.  Forming the proposed district's eastern border,
23 the district line moves generally southward until reaching E.
24 95th Street, then eastward until moving south again along S.
25 Torrence Avenue.  From this point, the border moves generally
26 southeast along several roads until reaching the Indiana border
1 just north of Wolf Lake.  The final portion of the eastern
2 border follows the Illinois-Indiana state line until reaching
3 the Cook-Will County line in the southeastern corner of the
4 district.
5     According to land use data, proposed RD 33's area outside
6 of the City of Chicago is largely urban, a characteristic
7 shared with those residing in Chicago portion of the district.
8 The communities in proposed RD 33 are home to many public
9 employees, namely those working for municipal and county
10 governments. Many police officers, firefighters and other City
11 of Chicago workers live in proposed RD 33 because it allows
12 them to meet residency requirements and still have easy access
13 to the suburbs. In the suburban communities, most public
14 employees or white collar workers reside east of S. Torrence
15 Avenue, where housing stock is different than those residing
16 west of the street. This common threat ties the communities
17 together.
18     Proposed RD 33, like the current district, has a community
19 of interest made up of low to middle income residents.  With the
20 exception of two small areas where residents earn between
21 $68,000 and $99,000 per year, the proposed district's resident
22 earn below $68,000, with some areas of population showing a
23 median income of under $44,000.
24     Proposed RD 33 also keeps the Ford automobile factory in
25 the district, a key employer for residents in both the Chicago
26 and south suburban portions of proposed RD 33. A number of
1 manufacturing facilities exist in the area around the Ford
2 factory, and many employees of these facilities have chosen to
3 live in the surrounding communities. These manufacturing
4 facilities and their workers are vital parts of proposed RD 33
5 and form a community of interest.
6     With the closure of public housing units in south Chicago,
7 many families relocated to the south suburbs, specifically in
8 the areas contained in proposed RD 33. These individuals have
9 strong ties to the Chicago portion of proposed RD 33 in the
10 churches they attend, their places of employment and banking.
11 By moving the current district's southern border further south,
12 it allows district residents who still have family and friends
13 in Chicago to share the same representative.
14     Proposed RD 33 keeps African Americans in Chicago together
15 with African Americans in the communities of Burnham, Calumet
16 City, Lansing, Lynwood and Sauk Village recognizing an
17 important community of interest.  This is especially important
18 as many African Americans residing in the southern part of the
19 proposed district previously lived in Chicago.
20     Proposed RD 33's ability to retain the core of its
21 district, and to preserve the incumbent-constituent
22 relationship enjoyed over the last decade, is hampered by the
23 southward expansion of the district's boundaries necessary to
24 compensate for a substantial population loss.  But the need to
25 move south is almost unavoidable: much of its eastern border is
26 immovable, most of the surrounding districts also suffer from
1 population loss, and in any event, the population has migrated
2 primarily southward.  Current RD 33's African-American
3 voting-age population, which has hovered around 66% since the
4 2001 map was drawn, drops to just below 62% with the boundary
5 changes.  The partisan advantage for the incumbent suffers a
6 moderate drop as well.
9 11.7%, and an Asian voting-age population of 0.48%.
17 population of the district by 12,941.
19 current RD 34. It gains the population needed to meet the equal
20 population number by extending further south, adding portions
21 of Chicago's south suburbs and portions of eastern Will and
22 Kankakee counties. In the Cook County portion of proposed RD
23 34, the borders closely resemble the borders of current RD 34
24 or follow major thoroughfares. Outside Cook County, proposed RD
25 34's borders follow township lines or natural boundaries, as
1 best as possible, deviating at points for purposes of equal
3     Proposed RD 34 is made up of portions of the south side of
4 Chicago, portions of Chicago's south suburbs, and portions of
5 Will and Kankakee counties. As neighboring proposed
6 representative districts in Chicago pushed southward and
7 westward in response to population migration, the boundaries of
8 proposed RD 34 followed suit, pushing slightly west from
9 current RD 34 in Chicago. Proposed RD 34 includes portions of
10 Burnham, Calumet City, and Lansing. Extending current RD 34
11 southward using these boundaries creates a logical path for
12 adding the population needed while also allowing proposed RD 34
13 to preserve the core of current RD 34.
14     Robert Starks, from the Harold Washington Institute for
15 Research and Policy Studies, testified at the House
16 Redistricting Hearing on April 20, 2011 at Chicago State
17 University that too much of the African American population has
18 left the city for the south and western suburbs. He stated that
19 these relocated residents should be incorporated into existing
20 African American districts or placed into coalition districts
21 or influence districts. He wants to ensure African Americans
22 have representation at all levels of the state legislature.
23 Proposed RD 34 follows the migration of African Americans out
24 of the south side of Chicago by adding pockets of African
25 Americans in Crete Township in Will County and Ganeer Township
26 in Kankakee County.
1     Additionally, with the closure of public housing units in
2 south Chicago, many families relocated to the south suburbs,
3 specifically in the areas contained in proposed RD 34.  These
4 individuals still have strong ties to the Chicago portion of
5 proposed RD 34 in the churches they attend, their places of
6 employment and banking.  By moving proposed RD 34's southern
7 border further south, it allows district residents who still
8 have family and friends in Chicago to share the same
9 representative.  Robert Starks testified that African Americans
10 who moved from Chicago to south and western suburbs should be
11 incorporated into other African Americans districts, given
12 that many African Americans who moved south and west out of the
13 city did not move voluntarily, but instead were forced out as a
14 result of the closure of public housing projects in the city.
15     The Chicago boundaries of proposed RD 34 follow very
16 closely to the boundaries of current RD 34 in its northern
17 portion. Proposed RD 34 shifts slightly westward as neighboring
18 representative districts to the east move westward in search of
19 population. Proposed RD 34 also follows well-established
20 roadways and other boundaries. On its western border, proposed
21 RD 34 follows major roads such as the Dan Ryan Expressway and
22 Cottage Grove Avenue, and a railroad. As proposed RD 34 extends
23 southward into Chicago's south suburbs, the western boundary
24 likewise shifts west, along the Shabonna Woods Forest Preserve
25 and then follows the Bishop Ford Expressway/Interstate 394
26 southward to the Cook/Will county line.
1     The eastern border also closely resembles the boundaries of
2 current RD 34, Route 20/12, a railroad, Torrence Avenue (which
3 is one of the major roads in the Southland), Burnham Avenue,
4 Interstate 80/294, the Lansing Woods Forest Preserve, and back
5 down Torrence Avenue to the Cook/Will county line, at which
6 point proposed RD 34 travels east to include a portion of Crete
7 Township.
8     In Will County, proposed RD 34 attempts to keep as many
9 townships as possible intact. It splits Crete Township,
10 following along Route 1/Dixie Highway (a heavily traveled road
11 in the south suburbs), State Street, Burville Road, and the
12 Bishop Ford Expressway/Interstate 394. This split is done for
13 purposes of equal population, and it keeps the municipality of
14 Crete almost solely within a neighboring representative
15 district. Washington Township is split along West Eagle Lake
16 Road and Route 1/Dixie Highway to add population from a portion
17 of Beecher, then along West Beecher Road, splitting York
18 Township, leaving the majority of Peotone, and the portion that
19 may make up the proposed South Suburban Airport, in the
20 Kankakee County-based proposed RD 79. In Kankakee County,
21 proposed RD 34 almost exclusively travels along township lines
22 to include Manteno, Sumner, and Yellowhead townships. Where the
23 southern boundary of proposed RD 34 follows mostly along the
24 Kankakee River, it splits Ganeer Township to include a
25 concentration of African Americans residents. Proposed RD 34
26 includes almost all of  Momence and continues its southern
1 border along the Kankakee River. The municipalities in proposed
2 RD 34 are kept mostly intact, except for Peotone and virtually
3 all of Bourbonnais, which are split along township lines and
4 geographic boundaries.
5     Socioeconomically, the north and south ends of proposed RD
6 34 are very similar to each other. While there are pockets of
7 low-income households in the Riverdale, Grand Crossing,
8 Chatham, and South Deering neighborhoods in Chicago and Ford
9 Heights in the south suburbs, the rest of proposed RD 34 is
10 predominantly lower-middle income to middle income.
11     While proposed RD 34 contains several major interstates and
12 highways, it also has numerous railroads. Proposed RD 34
13 contains a section of the Metra Electric line that allows daily
14 commuters from the south suburbs to travel to and from Chicago.
15 The City of New Orleans Amtrak line passes through the district
16 as well as a number of major commercial lines that link
17 Chicago's industrial areas to intermodal yards and main lines
18 allowing freight to be shipped to the East and West coasts. The
19 residents of proposed RD 34 share a common interest in ensuring
20 that rail service is provided and maintained within the region.
21     Proposed RD 34 follows the migration of African Americans
22 out of the southside of Chicago and links them with segments of
23 African-Americans in Crete Township and  Ganeer Township in
24 Kankakee County.
25     The incumbent has served this district for 16 years, and
26 the northern portion of proposed RD 34 is preserved, allowing
1 for the maintenance of the incumbent-constituent relationship
2 at least to that extent.  The ability to retain more of current
3 RD 34's core is frustrated by the need to add almost 13,000 in
4 population to ensure equal population, as well as the fact that
5 searching for population from adjacent districts to the east,
6 west, and north would entail removing population from districts
7 that likewise have suffered population losses of over 10,000
8 each.  (The lone exception is a miniscule shared border with
9 proposed RD 5, which suffered a population loss of over 6,000.)
10 The logical expansion is southward, especially given that this
11 movement follows the population migration.  This expansion
12 leads to the addition of mostly Caucasian and Hispanic voters.
13 As a result, proposed RD 34's African-American voting-age
14 population, which under current RD 34 started in 2001 at over
15 68% and had climbed to almost 75% under the 2010 census,
16 dropped almost seventeen percent under proposed RD 34.  The
17 partisan advantage for the incumbent drops significantly but
18 remains strong.
19     Proposed RD 34 would include an African American voting-age
4 of the district.
5     Proposed RD 35, located in Cook County, has 49.36% of its
6 residents  from current RD 35. While allowing surrounding
7 districts to gain population, proposed RD 35 maintains its
8 general shape, and expands into the northeast and southwest to
9 increase the necessary population. The east end of proposed RD
10 35 maintains similar boundaries as current RD 35. As with
11 current RD 35, proposed RD 35 contains parts of Chicago
12 neighborhoods of Beverly, Mount Greenwood and Morgan Park.
13 Proposed RD 35 expands into portions of Auburn Gresham and
14 Washington Heights in order to gain population.
15     Moving west vertically, proposed RD 35 follows similar
16 patterns as current RD 35 through the city of Merrionette Park
17 and parts of the cities of Alsip, Oak Lawn, Worth, Palos Park
18 and Palos Heights. In order to pick up the necessary
19 population, proposed RD 35 expands further into the southwest
20 suburbs and includes most of the city of Orland Park and all of
21 Orland Hills. The section of proposed RD 35 moving westward
22 narrows when compared to current RD 35 to accommodate the need
23 for more increasing population in neighboring proposed RDs 28
24 and 36.  Proposed RD 35 splits three townships (current RD 35
25 splits four) and has two entire cities and seven split cities
26 (current RD 35 has ten split cities).
HR0385 - 100 - LRB097 12175 RCE 56393 r
1     The townships and municipalities within proposed RD 35 are
2 united by common socioeconomic characteristics associated with
3 the southwest Chicago land area. The majority of residents
4 within these places are single-family homeowners who move into
5 these communities to take advantage of their housing values,
6 quality schools, and low crime rates. Many residents live in
7 the southwest part of the city of Chicago because they want to
8 be in a more "suburban" setting rather than a more urban area.
9 Many of the residents of the suburban townships have either
10 moved form Chicago themselves or are the children of former
11 Chicago residents. Outside of the African-American communities
12 in the northeast corner of the district, most of the residents
13 are of Irish, Polish, or Italian decent.
14     Proposed RD 35 includes portions of Chicago Wards 19 and
15 20, including the neighborhoods of Auburn-Gresham, Washington
16 Heights, Beverly, Morgan Park, and Mount Greenwood to increase
17 population, while preserving communities of interest in
18 neighboring districts. As with current RD 35, proposed RD 35
19 contains the majority of the community of Beverly and Mount
20 Greenwood. Beverly and Mount Greenwood represent a racially
21 mixed community of interest with a high percentage of home
22 owners who work for Chicago governmental agencies, including
23 residents serving as police officers, fire fighters, and
24 paramedics. These homeowners reside in Beverly because of the
25 quality of homes, lower crime rates and better schools than
26 many other Chicago neighborhoods. These residents have similar
1 transportation patterns, and use the Dan Ryan Expressway or the
2 Metra Rock Island commuter train route to access downtown
3 Chicago.
4     The Chicago residency requirement also ties the eastern
5 portion of the district with the western suburban portion
6 through the migration of retired city workers who have trended
7 further into the southwest suburbs of Orland, Palos and Tinley
8 Park after they are no longer bound by residency.
9     The narrow middle portion of proposed RD 35 maintains the
10 core of suburban communities that are within current RD 35
11 while expanding southwest into Orland Park and Orland Hills.
12 The suburban section of the district has similar household
13 incomes between $44,000 and $99,000. The western section of the
14 district contains the vast majority of Orland Park and all of
15 Orland Hills. The Cook County border serves as the western
16 border for the district.
17     Religion is another binding factor between the Chicago
18 portion of proposed RD 35 to the east and the suburban portion
19 to the west. Beverly and Mount Greenwood are home to a number
20 of Catholic parishes. Many of these Catholic residents,
21 especially older or retired residents, move south and west when
22 they are no longer bound by Chicago residency requirements, or
23 to take advantage of the additional space, larger homes and
24 backyards, and quieter quality of life in the suburbs. Many of
25 these residents who have migrated from Beverly and Mount
26 Greenwood into Palos and Orland Townships also populate several
1 Catholic churches throughout the suburbs.
2     Major roads in proposed RD 35 include I-294, which runs
3 through the narrow vertical center of the district and provides
4 access to the City of Chicago and northwest suburbs going
5 north, and to I-80 going south which provides access to Joliet
6 and I-57, both of which are used by trades and local businesses
7 to access collar counties. Southwest Highway which begins on
8 95th Street in the neighboring RD 36 provides easy access into
9 the Palos / Orland area and allows for easy travel between the
10 east and west sections of RD 35. In the western portion of the
11 district, Route 45 and Route 6 / 159th Street are major artery
12 streets that intersect at the southern end of the western
13 portion of the district.
14     A majority of the population within proposed RD 35 resides
15 in current RD 35. The current partisan composition of proposed
16 RD 35 is slightly higher than the current composition of
2 population shifts, the need to increase the total population of
3 the district by 5,450, and efforts to preserve communities of
4 interest.
6 current RD 36. Proposed RD 36 moves south and west of current
7 RD 36 to gain needed population while respecting the population
8 requirements of adjoining districts. Adjoining RD 31 is an
9 African American majority district, which had to start moving
10 west to increase population and remain within Cook County. The
11 densest African American communities in proposed RD 31 are in
12 the 17th, 18th, and 21st Chicago Wards. Proposed RD 36
13 transfers portions of Chicago Wards 18 and 21 in the
14 northeastern portion of current RD 36 to proposed RD 36. These
15 portions have a high density of African American communities
16 and are therefore included in proposed RD 31 in order to
17 solidify the communities of interest and preserve proposed RD
18 31 as an African American majority district.
19     Like current RD 36, proposed RD 36 is entirely within Cook
20 County and centers around Evergreen Park and Oak Lawn.  Proposed
21 RD 36 adds portions of Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge and Palos Hills
22 (all in current RD 36) and expands to include sections of Worth
23 and Palos Heights. Additional portions of the Chicago
24 neighborhoods of Beverly and Mount Greenwood are also included
25 in RD 36. The western border of proposed RD 36 expands to the
26 Cook County border, in part to accommodate for population loss
1 in the east. A significant section of the western portion is
2 within a forest preserve located in Lyons Township. Proposed RD
3 36 expanded into much of the township to reach pockets of
4 population surrounding the forest preserve, both north (Willow
5 Springs) and south (Palos Park).  Much of the suburban area
6 added to proposed RD 36 is socioeconomically and
7 demographically similar to other portions of current and
8 proposed RD 36. The median income ranges from $44,000 to
9 $99,000, which is similar to current RD 36.
10     Current and proposed RD 36 has a significant number of
11 persons who identify with the Catholic Church or choose to send
12 their children to neighborhood Catholic Schools. Brother Rice
13 High School and Mother McAuley High School remain in proposed
14 RD 36 at the confluence of Chicago, Evergreen Park and Oak
15 Lawn.  Many residents have ties to these schools that last long
16 after their children have graduated.
17     Proposed RD 36 is tied to Chicago's downtown, where many
18 work and seek entertainment, via Metra's South West Service
19 train line which runs through the heart of the district.
20 Downtown Chicago is also easily accessed by automobile via the
21 Interstate System.  Interstate 294 also runs through proposed RD
22 36.   Interstates 55, 57, 80 and 94 are all nearby and accessible
23 via on ramps or from Interstate 294.
24     Proposed RD 36 maintains a majority of the core from
25 current RD 36.  The partisan advantage in favor of the incumbent
26 is lower than current RD 36.
2 population of 12.21%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 8.7%,
3 and an Asian voting-age population of 2.23%.
5     Proposed RD 37 contains 108,734, the equal-population
6 target, and is therefore compliant with the "one person, one
7 vote" principle. Several districts shifted due to population
8 issues, and thus proposed RD 37 contains portions of 3 current
9 representative districts.
10     Proposed RD 37 is located in Cook and Will counties and
11 contains portions of current RD's 37 and 81. Proposed RD 37
12 lies mainly within the suburbs of Will County, with a small
13 portion of Cook County. Proposed RD 37 contains portions New
14 Lenox, Frankfort, Homer, and Orland Townships.  Portions of the
15 following communities are located within proposed RD 37:
16 Mokena, Tinley Park, Frankfort Square, New Lenox, Frankfort,
17 Orland Park, Homer Glen, Lockport, and Joliet. Proposed RD 37
18 unites communities that are demographically and culturally
19 similar to towns that are part of current and proposed RD 37,
20 including Homer Glen, Joliet, Lockport, Orland Park, and New
21 Lenox.  On its western edge, the proposed RD 37 observes the
22 same boundary line that existed between the current RD 37 and
23 adjacent current RD 85 and current RD 86.  This ensures that
24 sections can be preserved in those proposed neighboring
25 districts, as well.
1     Proposed RD 37 is fairly economically homogeneous, with
2 median annual income falling in the $85,000.01 - $115,000
3 range, save for a smaller and wealthier section of southwestern
4 Mokena. Proposed RD 37 is unified by its major transportation
5 corridors, Interstate 80, which runs through the middle,
6 Interstate 355, which connects New Lenox to the western
7 suburbs, and major north-south roads traversing the district,
8 including (from east to west) 80th Avenue, LaGrange Road (US
9 45), Wolf Road, Cedar Road, Cougar Road, and Farrell Road
10 Lincoln Highway (US 30) runs along the southern border. Metra's
11 Rock Island commuter rail line, which connects Joliet to
12 downtown Chicago, crosses the entirety of the district with
13 stops in New Lenox, Mokena, Hickory Creek, and Tinley Park. The
14 commuters who use this line create a community of interest.
16 within current RD 81, the incumbent's current district.
17 Proposed RD 37 keeps the incumbent within the core of the
18 district, thus preserving incumbent-constituent relationships
19 developed over the past 7 election cycles. However, the
20 partisan composition of proposed RD 37 is slightly lower than
21 the incumbent's current district.
23 population of 1.36%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 4.61%,
24 and an Asian voting-age population of 2.71%.
6 population shifts and the need to reduce the total population
8     Compared to current RD 38, proposed RD 38 shifts to the
9 west.  One reason for this shift is the southward and westward
10 push of surrounding districts that need to gain population.
11 Despite proposed RD 38's move west, 65.66% of the population is
12 in  current RD 38. The northeast corner of the district is
13 slightly reduced and the eastern border moves west.  The
14 northeast corner contains a staircase shaped boundary that
15 almost exactly follows the border line of Hazel Crest and
16 Homewood. The northwest boundary of the district is extended
17 north, mainly to achieve equal population.  The southwest border
18 of proposed RD 38 remains the same as current RD 38. As in
19 current RD 38, proposed RD 38 represents portions of the
20 communities of Country Club Hills, Flossmoor, Olympia Fields,
21 Park Forest, Hazel Crest, Markham, Matteson, Richton Park,
22 Harvey, Frankfort and Oak Forest.  Proposed RD 38 adds the
23 communities of Tinley Park and Frankfort Square.
24     The residents of the communities within proposed RD 38
25 share many common characteristics. As a whole, proposed RD 38
26 is a largely middle income district with a median income range
1 of $65,000 to $85,000 per year. Although there are minor
2 variances within the district, this range is noticeably higher
3 than districts to the north and east, while it is lower than
4 those in districts to the south and west. Proposed RD 38
5 creates a community of interest containing upwardly mobile,
6 middle class minorities. The additional population from Tinley
7 Park and Frankfort Square share some socioeconomic
8 similarities with the residents of Olympia Fields in terms of
9 their median income of $85,000-$115,000 per year.
10     Similar to current RD 38, proposed RD 38 includes a large
11 Cook County forest preserve area and preserves the Interstate
12 57 and Interstate 80 corridors at the heart of the district.
13 These roadways are a major source of commerce, allow local
14 residents to reach their destinations with ease, and will be a
15 driving factor in job growth.
16     Despite the westward shift of proposed RD 38 to accommodate
17 the population needs of surrounding districts, proposed RD 38
18 maintains the core and shape of current RD 38 and preserves the
19 relationship between this five-year incumbent and many of his
20 constituents.  Proposed RD 38's African-American voting-age
21 population drops substantially from the 2010 census figures for
22 current RD 38, which was 71 percent.  The partisan advantage to
23 the incumbent drops as well but remains strong.
9     Proposed RD 39 contains portions of current RD's 3, 14, 19,
10 39, and 40. Of its population, 58.53% reside in current RD 39.
11 To achieve equal population, the western half of current RD 39
12 shifts north and west, the northern boundary in the eastern
13 half shifts south, and the southern boundary shifts slightly
14 north. Proposed RD 39 lies entirely within Cook County on
15 Chicago's Northwest Side.
16     The major boundary streets in proposed RD 39 include Irving
17 Park Road and West Belle Plaine to the north, Fullerton and
18 Armitage Avenues to the south, Western Avenue to the east,
19 Melvina and Austin Avenues to the west, and Milwaukee and Barry
20 Avenues to the north.  Other major arterial streets running
21 north-south include Central Avenue, Laramie Avenue, Cicero
22 Avenue, Pulaski Road, and Kedzie Avenue. The streets running
23 east-west are Fullerton Avenue, Diversey Avenue, Belmont
24 Avenue, Addison Street and Irving Park Road.
25     Portions of the following Chicago wards are located in
1 proposed RD 39: 45, 1, 26, 30, 31, 35, and 38.  The majority of
2 split wards found in current RD 39 are also found in proposed
3 RD 39: wards 1, 26, 30, 31, and 35.  As with current RD 39,
4 proposed RD 39 includes split Cook County Board districts 8 and
6     Proposed RD 39 includes portions of the following
7 neighborhoods: Belmont Cragin, Hermosa, Avondale, Logan Square
8 (all of which are found in part within current RD 39), Portage
9 Park, and Irving Park. These neighborhoods are either
10 predominantly Hispanic or have growing Hispanic populations.
11 On the western border, proposed RD 39 includes an eight-block
12 section of the Dunning neighborhood, half of which is made up
13 of the campus and playing field of the Chicago Academy
14 elementary and high schools, which serve residents from
15 proposed RD 39.  Residents in proposed RD 39 are linked by the
16 Logan Square Boulevards Historic District and the Six Corners
17 shopping district, which are preserved within proposed RD 39.
18     Residents of proposed RD 39 have many public transportation
19 options, including the CTA Blue Line, which runs from suburban
20 Park Forest through downtown Chicago and out to O'Hare airport,
21 with a stop in the district at Irving Park; multiple CTA bus
22 routes, connecting to commuter rail and other routes; and the
23 Metra commuter railroad's Milwaukee District/North Line, which
24 begins in Chicago and ends in north suburban Fox Lake near the
25 Wisconsin border, runs on a northwest to southeast diagonal and
26 stops in the district at the Grayland station.
1     Proposed RD 39 is primarily made up of middle-income
2 households with a median income of between $45,000 and $70,000.
3 There is a segment of upper-middle income households in the
4 northwestern section of proposed RD 39, east of Cicero Avenue
5 and north of Addison Street and east of Austin Avenue and north
6 of Addison Street, and sections of households earning under
7 $45,000. Generally, proposed RD 39 remains similar
8 socioeconomically.
10 population of 3.16%, a Hispanic voting-age population of
11 55.06%, and an Asian voting-age population of 3.46%. As
12 Hispanic growth in Chicago is trending northwest, the district
13 moves in that direction to keep this community of interest
14 together and avoid diluting its voting strength, while gaining
15 the necessary population. Proposed RD 39 extends northward on
16 its northwest side to grab a portion of Kimball Avenue. This
17 allows more Hispanic residents to be included in proposed RD
18 39, in response to expert and legal testimony provided at the
19 House Redistricting hearing on May 24, 2011.
4 current RD 40.  Changes were made in part to meet the equal
5 population requirement, make the district more compact, and
6 maintain communities of interest in the district. Portions of
7 current RD 40 extending to the southwest and southeast were
8 eliminated. The southern border of the district was extended to
9 encompass the Avondale neighborhood, and the western border was
10 extended to take in more of Irving Park and a portion of
11 Portage Park.
12     Most of the western, northern and eastern borders are
13 nearly identical.  To accommodate a general shift in urban
14 population, small portions of current RD 40 along the northern
15 and eastern borders were given to neighboring districts to
16 increase their populations to meet equal population
17 requirements.  The western border of proposed RD 40 is expanded
18 to add more of Chicago's 38th and 39th Wards, while adding a
19 portion of the 45th Ward.
20     The southwestern extension of the district was removed,
21 making proposed RD 40 more compact.  The southern boundary of
22 proposed RD 40 is extended to encompass the majority of the
23 Avondale neighborhood to protect this community of interest.
24 This also allows proposed RD 40 to incorporate more of the 35th
25 Ward.
26     As with current RD 40, proposed RD 40 is entirely with the
1 City of Chicago.  Proposed RD 40 contains portions of Wards 1,
2 30, 33, 35, 38, 39, and 45.  To make the district more compact,
3 portions of the 30th and 38th Ward in current RD 40's southwest
4 side and the 31st Ward are removed.  Current RD 40 and proposed
5 RD 40 both contain portions of Cook County Board Districts 8
6 and 12.
7     The northern border of current RD 40 is substantially
8 maintained to preserve the Albany Park Neighborhood. Albany
9 Park has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the
10 city and is the third most diverse zip code in the country with
11 more than 40 languages spoken in the area's public schools.
12 Residents are from regions of Central America, South America,
13 Eastern Europe, India, Southeast Asia and Eastern Asia.  At the
14 April 21, 2011 Redistricting Hearing in Chicago-Downtown,
15 Hyeyoung Lee of Korean American Community Services testified
16 that Albany Park residents with roots in Korea and other parts
17 of Asia have shared cultural and social similarities and
18 contributed to the redevelopment of Lawrence Avenue into a
19 commercial corridor.  This community of interest along Lawrence
20 Avenue within the Albany Park Neighborhood has been preserved
21 in a single district within proposed RD 40 in the same manner
22 that it is in current RD 40.
23     The middle section of proposed RD 40 contains the Irving
24 Park Neighborhood.  The majority of the Irving Park Neighborhood
25 is within proposed RD 40, including small portions of the Old
26 Irving Park Neighborhood west of Pulaski.  This neighborhood was
1 originally settled by European immigrants in the early 1900s,
2 but is now predominantly Hispanic.  The European history and
3 development along Irving Park Road and Montrose Avenue,
4 combined with the growing Hispanic community in this
5 neighborhood, ensure this community of interest is maintained
6 within proposed RD 40 in the same manner as current RD 40.
7     Proposed RD 40 preserves almost all the Avondale
8 neighborhood within the borders of proposed RD 40 by extending
9 the southern boundary of the district approximately four blocks
10 to the south. This neighborhood community of interest is
11 located between Addison Street  and Diversey Avenue.  Avondale
12 was originally settled by blue-collar European immigrants of
13 mostly Polish, German and Scandinavian descent, but has seen
14 steady increases in its Hispanic population.  The Avondale
15 community of interest is almost entirely within proposed RD 40
16 now that the southern border of the district has extended
17 south.
18     Proposed RD 40 is more compact than current RD 40, because
19 it includes fewer portions of the Portage Park neighborhood and
20 no longer includes the North Center and Lincoln Park
21 neighborhoods.
22     Proposed RD 40 contains a majority of the core from current
23 RD 40.  The partisan composition is nearly identical to the
24 composition of current RD 40.
3     Proposed RD 41 has a population of 108,734, the
5 "one person, one vote" principle.  To ensure the preservation of
6 equal representation and to create compact, contiguous
7 representative districts that reflect the interest of the
8 populations, several districts are rearranged to accurately
9 reflect the 2010 census data.  Proposed RD 41 is a composite
10 district made up of portions of current RDs 48, 85, 95, and 96.
11 Proposed RD 41 contains a majority of current RD 96 and
12 strengthens it by adding more of its core municipality.
13     Proposed RD 41 is very similar in shape to current RD 96.
14 Proposed RD 41 loses population by receding completely from the
15 city of Aurora but gains population to the north by adding more
16 of Warrenville and to the west by adding more of Naperville.  In
17 doing so, proposed RD 41 becomes essentially a Naperville-based
18 district, encompassing almost the entire municipality and
19 portions of Warrenville. The core of proposed RD 41 is
20 Naperville, which is similar to current RD 96, but including
21 more of Naperville allows proposed RD 41 to be more
22 Naperville-centric and focus more on the issues and concerns of
23 the municipality and Warrenville.
24     Proposed RD 41 includes almost the same Will County portion
25 of the municipality of Naperville, with boundaries essentially
1 the same.  Proposed RD 41 adds portions of two additional
2 townships (Lisle Township in DuPage County and DuPage Township
3 in Will County), but does so as part of proposed RD 41's
4 expansion into the municipality of Naperville.  Therefore,
5 proposed RD 41 includes portions of five townships instead of
6 three under current RD 96.
7     The communities in proposed RD 41 are socioeconomically
8 similar.  Most of proposed RD 41 has a median income bracket of
9 between $99,000 and $148,000.  Slightly lower income areas exist
10 around the northern end of Warrenville in the northern edge of
11 the district and in a section of Naperville.
12     Proposed RD 41 is located in the heart of the Illinois
13 Research & Development Corridor formed by Interstate 88, which
14 runs through proposed RD 41.  Many business and corporations
15 like Alcatel-Lucent, Edward Hospital, Nicor, and Tellabs
16 contribute to the population of proposed RD 41 by housing their
17 headquarters within the district.  The BP Amoco Research Center
18 is also partially in proposed RD 41, straddling the
19 Naperville/Lisle township line.  The Corridor helps to provide a
20 community of interest of professionals within proposed RD 41.
21     The DuPage River flows through the middle of proposed RD 41
22 and the main population center of Naperville, linking the
23 district from top to bottom.  The city of Naperville provides a
24 River Trail for pedestrians and cyclists year-round.  Along with
25 the Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve, the river helps
26 provide Naperville and proposed RD 41 with recreational
1 opportunities and an awareness of environmental concerns, such
2 as pollution, flooding, and water usage.
3     A majority of the population within proposed RD 41 resides
4 within current RD 96, the incumbent's current district.
5 Proposed RD 41 keeps the incumbent with the core of the
6 district, and is similar to the current partisan composition of
7 current RD 41 as well as current RD 96.
9 population of 4.01%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 5.72%,
15 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle.
16     To ensure the preservation of equal representation and to
17 create compact, contiguous representative districts that
18 reflect the interests of the populations, several
19 representative districts are rearranged to accurately reflect
20 the 2010 census data. Current RDs 42, 45, 48, and 95 need to
21 gain additional population to meet the equal-population
22 target; whereas neighboring current RDs 55, 84, 85, and 96 all
23 dramatically gained population over the last 10 years. Thus,
24 proposed RD 42 is significantly different from current RD 42
25 due in part to the need to add population to the district,
1 account for population shifts in neighboring districts, and
2 ensure all districts have equal population.
3     Proposed RD 42 is located wholly in DuPage County, and its
4 population includes 44.79% of current RD 95, as well as
5 portions of current RDs 48, 45, 55, and RD 42. It contains
6 portions of the townships of Winfield, Wayne, Bloomingdale,
7 Milton, and Lisle, and municipalities of Winfield, Wheaton,
8 Carol Stream, Lisle, Naperville, West Chicago, and
9 Warrenville. The boundaries of proposed RD 42 follow along
10 township lines, well-known roads in DuPage County, waterways
11 and, a rail line bordering the Fermi National Accelerator
12 Laboratory on the west side of the district.
13     Proposed RD 42 is a strong professional community with
14 socioeconomic similarities. A majority of proposed RD 42 has a
15 median income range of between $99,000 and $148,000. Proposed
16 RD 42 includes Illinois Benedictine University and open space
17 recreational land, including Timber Ridge County Forest
18 Preserve, Kline Creek Farm of DuPage County Forest Preserve,
19 Blackwell County Forest Preserve, Danada Forest Preserve, and
20 Morton Arboretum.  Proposed RD 42 is united by its proximity to
21 open space recreational land.
22     The current political composition of proposed RD 42
23 slightly increases the partisan advantage for the incumbent.
5 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle. The very
6 minor differences in shape between proposed and current RD 43
7 are due to population shifts and the need to increase the total
8 population of the district.
10 current RD 43. The northern border (McHenry-Kane County line)
11 and the eastern border on the north half (Cook-Kane County
12 line) of current RD 43 remain the same in proposed RD 43.  The
13 southern half of the eastern border of proposed RD 43 is very
14 similar to current RD 43 with three small census tract
15 additions.  The southern border of proposed RD 43 also remains
16 the same as current RD 43.  The biggest changes in proposed RD
17 43 occur on the western border. In the southern part of
18 proposed RD 43, the district is extended west to include more
19 of the City of Elgin so that the center of the population of
20 the city is preserved and to add a growing Hispanic
21 neighborhood, thereby keeping the community of interest more
22 intact.  The most significant change from current RD 43 is the
23 removal of three precincts along the Fox River in the northern
24 part of the district, one in downtown Carpentersville and two
25 in East Dundee to reach the target population.
1     Proposed RD 43 is split between Cook and Kane Counties with
2 most of the district remaining in Kane County, just as it is in
3 current RD 43.  The same areas of Cook County in current RD 43
4 are included in proposed RD 43. As it is in current RD 43,
5 proposed RD 43 is split between three townships, Dundee and
6 Elgin Townships in Kane County and Hanover Township in Cook
7 County. Like current RD 43, the City of Elgin makes up the core
8 of proposed RD 43, including the section of the city that is in
9 Cook County and all of proposed RD 43 south of I-90 except for
10 a small section of South Elgin at the very southernmost tip of
11 proposed RD 43, which is also in current RD 43.  Proposed RD 43
12 north of I-90 includes parts of East Dundee, Carpentersville
13 and Barrington Hills.  The Barrington Hills split in proposed RD
14 43 remains the same as it is in current RD 43.  The sections of
15 Carpentersville and East Dundee are removed in proposed RD 43
16 to reach the target population.
17     Similar to current RD 43, proposed RD 43 splits several
18 Kane and Cook County Board Districts. The splits in both
19 counties occur to preserve the shape of current RD 43 as much
20 as possible.  Proposed RD 43 splits Community Unit School
21 District 300, Barrington School District 200 and School
22 District U-46, and the same splits occur in current RD 43.  Just
23 as it is in current RD 43, most of proposed RD 43 remains in the
24 Elgin Community College District, but the northern most tip of
25 proposed RD 43 remains in the Harper College District.
26     Proposed RD 43 is drawn to preserve the downtown area of
1 Elgin and contains Elgin City Hall, The Centre of Elgin, the
2 Gail Borden Library, the historical districts of Elgin, and
3 Elgin Community College.  Most of proposed RD 43 has a median
4 income in the $44,000 to $70,000 with some areas in East Dundee
5 and on the edges of Elgin in the $70,000 to $90,000 range.
6     The Fox River, which runs north to south through the center
7 of proposed RD 43, just as it does in current RD 43, is a major
8 landmark and attracts residential population as well as
9 commercial developments and tourism.  Like current RD 43,
10 proposed RD 43 contains mostly densely populated urban areas,
11 but there are some forest and open land areas along the Fox
12 River.
13     Proposed RD 43 contains almost the entire core of current
14 RD 43.  There is a slight increase in the partisan advantage for
15 the incumbent compared to current RD 43.
3 current RD 44. Like current RD 44, proposed RD 44 is entirely
4 within Cook County and Hanover and Schaumburg townships.
5 Proposed RD 44 loses portions of the southeastern corner of
6 current RD 44 due in part to population issues and an attempt
7 to keep communities of interest intact within proposed RD 56.
8 This keeps the southwestern areas of Schaumburg within one
9 representative district (currently represented by 2
10 districts). The result is that the portions of Schaumburg CCSD
11 54 within current RD 44 are included in proposed RD 56, rather
12 than proposed RD 44. With this change, proposed RD 44 is mainly
13 within School District U-46.  This also places a currently split
14 precinct (Schaumburg 16) entirely within proposed RD 56 and
15 straightens the border between proposed RD 44 and proposed RD
17     The remainder of proposed RD 44's eastern border is
18 unchanged from current RD 44, with the exception of a single
19 precinct in Schaumburg that is added for equal population
20 purposes. Adding this precinct in northwestern Schaumburg to
21 proposed RD 44 makes sense since a sizable portion of this area
22 of Schaumburg is within current RD 44 and proposed RD 44.
23     Under proposed RD 44, the northern border of current RD 44
24 remains unchanged, heading west to Barrington Road.  At this
25 point, the northern boundary of proposed RD 44 heads south then
26 west again down Shoe Factory Road which runs through an
1 unpopulated forest preserve.  At Beverly Road, the border heads
2 north again to Interstate 90 and continues west as with current
3 RD 44.  The only change, in terms of population, along the
4 northern border from current RD 44 and proposed RD 44 is
5 immediately east of Beverly Road where a pocket of population
6 is removed from current RD 44 due to the need to achieve equal
8     The western border of proposed RD 44 is mainly unchanged
9 under proposed RD 44 with the exception of a handful of
10 adjustments to achieve equal population.  The southern border of
11 current RD 44 is also unchanged except for two minor
12 adjustments.  The first adjustment made under proposed RD 44
13 incorporates the only pocket north of Lake Street not in
14 current RD 44.  Adding this area not only straightens out the
15 border but adds pockets of Hispanic population to the Hispanic
16 population that lives in the nearby Village of Streamwood.  The
17 other adjustment along the southern border adds a small
18 population to help proposed RD 44  achieve equal population.
19     Proposed RD 44 maintains a substantial core of current RD
20 44 and preserves incumbent-constituent relationships developed
21 over the past 2 election cycles.  The current partisan
22 composition is very similar to the current composition under
24     Proposed RD 44 has an Asian voting-age population of
25 18.35%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 23.04%, and an
26 African American voting-age population of 4.57%.
5 issues, and thus proposed RD 45 contains portions of three
6 current representative districts. Proposed RD 45 is located in
7 Cook and DuPage counties and its population  contains 48.78% of
8 current RD 55 and portions  of current RDs 45,  46, and 56.
9     Proposed RD 45 is a new district in the northwest suburbs
10 of Chicago located largely in DuPage County with a small
11 portion in Cook County.   It contains, from east to west,
12 portions of current RDs 46, 45, 56, and 55.
13     Proposed RD 45 includes territory west of O'Hare
14 International Airport and shares its eastern border with
15 proposed RD 77.  Proposed RD 45 runs just south of the Cook
16 County border from the area surrounding Chicago O'Hare
17 International Airport in Wood Dale west to Bartlett, with
18 adjustments in the communities of Hanover Park and Roselle so
19 that neighboring districts can achieve equal population.
20     Proposed RD 45 contains all or the majority of a number of
21 municipalities.  Itasca is entirely within proposed RD 45.  The
22 majority of Wood Dale, Bloomingdale and Bartlett are within the
23 district, as are portions of Addison, Roselle, Hanover Park,
24 West Chicago, Wayne, Elk Grove Village, and Carol Stream.  The
25 only segment of proposed RD 45 in Cook County is a portion of
1 the municipality of Bartlett, which crosses county lines into
2 DuPage County.  This area is bordered on the north by the
3 arterial road of W. Lake Street and west by Illinois Route 59.
4     Lake Street and the Elgin O'Hare Expressway run through
5 proposed RD 45.  These roadways make O'Hare Airport and the
6 businesses and jobs that surround it easily accessible to local
7 residents.  Interstates 290 and 355 and the arterial roads of
8 Schick Road, Sutton Road, Roselle Road, Bloomingdale Road and
9 Kingery Highway are all within or in close proximity to
10 proposed RD 45.  Residents who want to live in economically
11 fairly diverse communities but have a desire to work, shop and
12 seek entertainment elsewhere can do so in proposed RD 45
13 because of this extensive network of roads.
14     The communities within proposed RD 45 are very similar
15 socioeconomically because they have median incomes between
16 $45,000 and $150,000, making proposed RD 45 predominately
17 middle to upper middle-income.  To the south of the proposed RD
18 45, the median income is generally between $45,000 and $75,000.
19     Stratford Square Mall is in the center of proposed RD 45.
20 Stratford Square Mall is currently within the southernmost
21 portion of current RD 56, a district that is comprised of the
22 majority of Schaumburg, which has Woodfield Mall and
23 surrounding shopping centers that bring revenue into the
24 district. Residents in proposed RD 45 have a strong financial
25 interest in the Mall as the commercial center of proposed RD
26 45. Stratford Square Mall and surrounding developments bring
1 people into proposed RD 45 and this benefits the residents of
2 the district.
3     The current partisan composition of proposed RD 45
4 increases to favor the incumbent party of current RD 45.
5     Proposed RD 45 has an Asian voting-age population of
6 11.07%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 8.27%, and an
7 African American voting-age population of 2.12%.
9     According to the 2010 Census, current RD 46 has a current
14 population shifts and to need to increase the total population
16     Proposed RD 46 moves to the west, largely due to population
17 needs of districts to the north, south, and east of current RD
18 46. Proposed RD 46 includes portions of RDs 41, 42, 45, 46, and
19 55. The border extends south to include more of York Township
20 and west to incorporate larger portions of Milton and
21 Bloomingdale Townships. The south and westward expansions of
22 proposed RD 46, as best as possible, follow the boundaries of
23 Villa Park and Glendale Heights while also maintaining strong
24 business districts, the DuPage County Forest Preserve, and
25 access to Interstate 355. The southwestern border of the
1 district protrudes south to preserve the majority of Villa Park
2 and to add a similar portion of Oakbrook Terrace. The southern
3 border of the district follows the Churchill Prairie Nature
4 Preserve's boundaries before heading west along Geneva Road.
5 The southern border allows proposed RD 46 to keep the entirety
6 of the Village of Glendale Heights in one representative
7 district, as opposed to current RD 46 which divides the
8 densely-populated Glendale Heights between two districts.
9 Proposed RD 46 continues west to encompass a large portion of
10 the Village of Carol Stream.
11     The median income of proposed RD 46 remains fairly
12 consistent. Glendale Heights, the portion of Addison found in
13 proposed RD 46, major portions of Carol Stream, and the portion
14 of the Village of Glen Ellyn found in proposed RD 46 all have
15 median incomes of $45,000 to $75,000. This level of parity in
16 median income creates a district of similar socioeconomic
17 characteristics binding the interests of the residents. It is
18 clear from the median income data that proposed RD 46 is a
19 community of interest as median income increases quickly once
20 outside the boundary of proposed RD 46.  This area is a more
21 affordable option for those families looking for a suburban
22 lifestyle, but who need to commute to the city for work.
24 RD 45 and portions of several other current districts.  The
25 partisan advantage of proposed RD 46 increases in favor of
26 Democrats when compared to the average partisan advantages of
1 the current districts which form proposed RD 46.
3 population of 5.59%, a Hispanic voting-age population of
4 18.91%, and an Asian voting-age population of 14.51%.
9 compliant with the "one person, one vote" principle.
14 the 2010 census data. Thus, proposed RD 47 is significantly
15 different from current RD 47 due in part to the need to add
16 population to the district, account for population shifts in
17 neighboring districts, and ensure all districts have equal
19     In comparison with current RD 47, proposed RD 47 expands to
20 the north and south, and contracts from the east and west,
21 reorienting to a north-south direction rather than an east-west
22 layout.  Proposed RD 47 contains substantial portions of three
23 current representative districts (47, 41, 46)  and smaller
24 portions of two current representative districts (82 and 42).
25 Proposed RD 47 is located almost entirely within DuPage County,
1 with the exception of a small sliver of Lyons Township that is
2 socioeconomically similar to the other portions of proposed RD
3 47. Generally, proposed RD 47 is more ethnically and
4 economically cohesive and centered around upper-middle class
5 quality of life concerns.
6     Overall, proposed RD 47 is located within a larger
7 quadrilateral frame of interstates, I-290 to the north, I-55 to
8 the south, I-294 to the east, and I-355 to the west.  Much of
9 proposed RD 47's eastern border runs along the Cook/DuPage
10 County line, but it extends further north than current RD 47.
11 In many instances the lines follow municipal borders or
12 slightly deviate for population purposes.
13     Proposed RD 47 contains portions of the townships of
14 Downers Grove, York, Addison, and Lyons. Proposed RD 47
15 contains the following municipalities: Downers Grove, Darien,
16 Westmont, Willowbrook, Clarendon Hills, Hinsdale, Western
17 Springs, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Villa Park, and Elmhurst.
18 In most cases, except for Willowbrook, Downers Grove, Darien,
19 Villa Park and Western Springs, the majority of these
20 municipalities are included in proposed RD 47, and the lines
21 follow municipal borders in many locations, including
22 Elmhurst, Oak Brook, and Hinsdale.
23     Proposed RD 47 generally has an upper median income, with a
24 small number of census blocks having a median income of
25 $45,000-75,000. These blocks are located in the
26 Westmont/Willowbrook/Clarendon Hills area, as well as a small
1 portion of an unincorporated area north of Butterfield Road
2 between Lombard and Oakbrook Terrace. The remainder of proposed
3 RD 47 falls into the range of $75,000 - $260,000 median income.
4     Proposed RD 47 contains the corporate headquarters of
5 Sunshine Biscuits, Keebler (owned by Kellogg Company),
6 McMaster-Carr, McDonald's Corporation, Ace Hardware, Blistex,
7 Dominick's, Federal Signal Corporation, Paper Mate, Crowe
8 Horwath, Inland Real Estate Corporation and one of the largest
9 shopping centers, Oakbrook Center. With most of proposed RD 47
10 made up of solidly upper-middle class residents, the residents
11 share a common economic situation and similar concerns about
12 issues including income and property taxes, quality of public
13 schools, saving for their children's college and their
14 retirement, and the health of the economy. Additionally, these
15 communities take an interest in seeing policies enacted that
16 will improve the state's business climate and economic
17 competitiveness.
18     The partisan composition of proposed RD 47 favors current
19 RD 47's incumbent party.
21 population of 2.17%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 5%,
22 and an Asian voting-age population of 8.95%.  The Asian
23 population is mostly concentrated in Oak Brook, Oakbrook
24 Terrace, Westmont and Elmhurst.
5 representative districts. Proposed RD 48 is located in DuPage
6 County and contains a significant portion (69.40%) of current
7 RD 42 and lesser portions of current RDs 41, 45, 46, 48, and
9     Proposed RD 48 maintains much of the core of current RD 42
10 with slight changes to increase population and make the
11 district more compact.  To maintain equal population, proposed
12 RD 48 removes portions of Downers Grove, Oak Brook Terrace and
13 Lisle and small sections of Glen Ellyn, Lombard and Glendale
14 Heights while adding residential areas in portions of Wheaton
15 and Lombard and a smaller section of Lisle. Proposed RD 48
16 remains only in DuPage County and its boundaries generally
17 follow logical boundaries like Interstates 355 and 80, Ogden
18 Avenue, Butterfield Road and Geneva Road.
19     The expansions in proposed RD 48 do not add new
20 municipalities to the district.  To gain population in the
21 northeast corner of the district, proposed RD 48 gains most of
22 the municipality of Lombard.  Lombard is made up of upper-middle
23 income residents earning between $68,654 and $98,750.  Adding
24 more of Lombard increases the community of interest of middle
25 income families more similar to the other residents of Lombard
26 and moderate income earners in the same range in Lisle on the
1 south end of proposed RD 48.
2     In the northwest corner of proposed RD 48, a larger portion
3 of the municipality of Wheaton is added. Wheaton is the county
4 seat of DuPage County and an important landmark and destination
5 within proposed RD 48.  To achieve equal population, a section
6 of Downers Grove is removed from proposed RD 48 so most of the
7 population base of the municipality remains in a neighboring
9     Proposed RD 48 is anchored by Interstate 355, Interstate
10 88, the College of DuPage, Wheaton College, Hidden Lake Forest
11 Preserve and the Morton Arboretum.  The district consists of
12 middle class neighborhoods with retail and commercial areas,
13 and is served by the Union Pacific West Line Metra.  Even though
14 the municipalities of proposed RD 48 are split in the district,
15 the residents in this cluster of western suburbs are similar,
16 with a number of recreational opportunities like golf courses,
17 country clubs, green spaces, single-family housing stock and
18 middle class residents.
19     A population of Asian households stretch from south section
20 of Lombard to the portion of Downers Grove located in proposed
21 RD 48, and across the middle of the district, in both current
22 RD 42 and proposed RD 48, from east to west. There are two
23 Hindu Temples located in proposed RD 48.  These places of
24 worship tie the Asian communities of interest together in the
25 central section of both proposed RD 48.
1 RD 42.  The representative in current RD 42 becomes the
2 incumbent in proposed RD 48, and proposed RD 48 preserves the
3 incumbent-constituent relationship developed over the past 4
4 election cycles.  The partisan advantage is very similar to the
7 population, a 5.71% Latino voting-age population, and a 7.87%
15 population shifts and the need to reduce the total population
19 reflects the interests of the populations, several districts
20 are rearranged to accurately reflect the 2010 census data.
21 Proposed RD 49 includes portions of current RDs 49, 50, 55, 95,
22 and 96. Proposed RD 49 shifts to the south and to the east to
23 reflect the significant population growth in the far western
24 suburbs of Chicago, including the areas in current RD 49 and
25 the districts surrounding it. Because of this dramatic increase
1 in population, the overall size of proposed RD 49 is
2 extensively reduced, with its Kane County territory shrinking
3 and shifting to southeast.  Proposed RD 49 also expands into
4 DuPage County in order to absorb excess population from
5 existing districts. These population shifts result in a
6 proposed RD 49 that is an improvement over current RD 49
7 because it is more compact.  Proposed RD 49 also allows for the
8 DuPage County Airport to be put into one representative
9 district instead of being split in two, as it is currently.
10     The Fox River remains a major, regional economic resource
11 and is a contributing factor to the region's rapid population
12 growth. Other contributing factors include the major area
13 transportation routes, such as I-88, accessible public
14 transportation through Metra, and relatively lower cost of
15 living and safer neighborhoods when compared to Chicago.
17 consistent. West Chicago, portions of Wayne, St. Charles,
18 Aurora, North Aurora, and Batavia all have median incomes of
19 $99,000 to $148,000.  Portions of the southern end of proposed
20 RD 49 in Geneva, Aurora,  and Naperville contain contiguous
21 areas with median incomes of $68,000 to $99,000.
22     Proposed RD 49 includes a substantial population from
23 current RD 95, the incumbent's current district. The boundaries
24 of proposed RD 49 create a partisan composition that is similar
25 to the percentages of current RD 95.
26     The African American voting-age population is 2.98%, the
1 Hispanic voting-age population is 15.48%, and the Asian
2 voting-age population is 7.63% in proposed RD 49.
6 108,734, the equal population target, and is therefore
8     Proposed RD 50 is different in shape from current RD 50 due
9 to the population shifts and the need to reduce total
10 population in the district.  The proposed district retains its
11 core and is almost exclusively contained within the current RD
12 50.  Of the population in proposed RD 50, 94.66% reside in
13 current RD 50.  Proposed RD 50 is more compact, containing only
14 small portions of Kane and Kendall counties and reducing the
15 number of entirely included intact townships from 17 to 3.
16     The communities within proposed RD 50 are expanding at a
17 rapid pace and will likely continue to do so over the next 10
18 years. These towns and cities form a community of interest of
19 fast-growth communities that are dealing with urban planning
20 issues related to a rapid expansion in population. By centering
21 proposed RD 50 on these communities and removing many of the
22 slower-growing, more agricultural areas, the elected
23 representative of this proposed district will be better able to
24 focus on issues important to this specific community of
25 interest. Those moving into this district are in search of
1 larger yards and better schools for their children.
2     At the House Redistricting hearing held in Aurora on April
3 18, 2011, Ms. Marilyn Michelini, Montgomery Village President,
4 testified that Montgomery's population has grown dramatically
5 in the last decade with the majority of Montgomery residents
6 living in Kendall County.  She stated that it would be ideal
7 that Montgomery should not be joined with communities that have
8 different interests than Montgomery.  Proposed RD 50 fulfills
9 that request.
10     Proposed RD 50 has relatively homogeneous income levels.
11 The district is overwhelmingly upper middle class, with median
12 income levels in most of the district ranging from $75,000 to
13 $150,000. Only a few areas have a lower median income level of
14 $45,000 to $75,000, still keeping the district upper middle
15 class overall.
17 current RD 50. The current partisan composition of proposed RD
18 50 is nearly identical to the current composition of current RD
21 population of 3.83%, a Hispanic voting-age population of 10.23%
3     The minimal differences in boundaries between current and
4 proposed RD 51 are due, in part, to population shifts, the need
5 to reduce the total population of the district, and to locate
6 the district entirely within Lake County. Of the population in
7 proposed RD 51, 81.66% reside in  current RD 51. Proposed RD 51
8 removes portions of Round Lake, Round Lake Park, and Grayslake
9 in the northwest, Mundelein in the center, and the section of
10 current RD 51 located in Cook County. The section removed in
11 Round Lake, Round Lake Park, and Grayslake contains Campbell
12 Airport and a small residential area surrounding the airport,
13 which is now included in proposed RD 62 to the north. The
14 removed section of Mundelein has a lower income level than
15 proposed RD 51 and is moved to proposed RD 59, which is more
16 demographically and socioeconomically similar.
17     Proposed RD 51 adds sections of Waukegan, Green Oaks,
18 Mettawa, Vernon Hills, Libertyville and Long Grove on the east
19 side of proposed RD 51, much of Barrington, North Barrington,
20 and  Tower Lakes, and portions of Lake Barrington.  Proposed RD
21 51 now includes all of Libertyville, instead of splitting the
22 village in two districts. Adding more of Green Oaks allows the
23 residential area of the municipality to be in one district.
24 Proposed RD 51  is bordered by Interstate 94, keeping Lamb's
25 Farm and a small commercial area in Green Oaks on the east side
26 of Interstate 94 in a neighboring district.  Proposed RD 51's
1 addition of more of  Long Grove follows the municipality border,
2 keeping the municipality intact whereas it is split in current
4     Proposed RD 51 mainly consists of upper-middle income and
5 high income neighborhoods and high-end retail and commercial
6 areas.  Proposed RD 51 is socioeconomically very similar, with
7 the median income of between $100,000 and $260,000 covering an
8 overwhelming majority of proposed RD 51.  The residents of this
9 area generally move to this area to get away from more
10 congested suburbs, find good schools for their children and
11 find additional recreational opportunities for their families.
12     Like current RD 51, proposed RD 51 remains in one library
13 system and one diocese, but proposed RD 51 is in one Regional
14 Office of Public Health; whereas, current RD 51 is in two.  Like
15 current RD 51, proposed RD 51 is anchored by Interstate 94 and
16 US Route 12 and includes IL Route 83, Milwaukee Avenue, and
17 Illinois Route 22.
18     Proposed RD 51 includes a significant number of people from
19 current RD 51, which preserves the incumbent-constituent
20 relationship that has developed over the last four election
21 cycles. The partisan composition of proposed RD 51 is nearly
22 identical to the composition of current RD 51.
7 in part to population shifts and the need to reduce the total
8 population of the district by 22,168. Additionally, the shape
9 of proposed RD 52 differs based on the need for neighboring
10 districts to dramatically reduce population in order to achieve
11 equal population, the desire to create a more compact district,
12 and an effort to decrease the number of split townships, all
13 while maintaining the socioeconomic characteristics of the
14 district. Proposed RD 52 contains large populations  of current
15 RDs 52 and  64, and portions of current RDs 43, 44, 49, 51, and
17     Like current RD 52, proposed RD 52 contains portions of
18 Cook, Kane, McHenry, and Lake counties. Proposed RD 52 reduces
19 the number of townships in the district from nine to seven,
20 and, as a result, proposed RD 52 contains portions of the
21 townships of Barrington, Algonquin, Cuba, Dundee, Hanover,
22 Nunda, and Wauconda.
23     To reduce the population of the district, proposed RD 52
24 loses territory from the north and northwestern portions of
25 current RD 52. Proposed RD 52 shifts south to create a more
26 compact district due to significant population shifts to the
1 north and west of current RD 52. To ensure compactness and
2 maintain communities of interest, proposed RD 52 extends south
3 to take in more of Cook County and to incorporate larger
4 portions of McHenry and Kane counties.  A westbound divergence
5 of the boundary in Barrington Township is made to keep Baker
6 Lake and its surrounding population intact in a neighboring
7 district. Proposed RD 52 extends south into Cook County with
8 the southern expansion of proposed RD 52 following the borders
9 of Barrington Township, as best as possible, to keep it almost
10 intact. Current RD 52 splits Barrington Township into two
11 parts, separating Barrington Hills from South Barrington.
12     Along the southwestern border of proposed RD 52, district
13 boundaries move south into Kane County and Dundee Township to
14 capture densely populated areas with socioeconomic
15 characteristics similar to most of proposed RD 52.  The western
16 border of proposed RD 52 maintains a cohesive block of similar
17 median incomes found in Carpentersville, Algonquin, Lake in the
18 Hills, and Crystal Lake. The split areas in Algonquin and
19 Crystal Lake are used to maintain a core socioeconomic
20 community in proposed RD 52. The socioeconomic border in
21 Algonquin separates the high median income of western Algonquin
22 from the average $75,000 to $100,000 found in the eastern
23 portion of Algonquin. Similarly, to maintain a compact and
24 similar socioeconomic core, Crystal Lake is separated into two
25 distinct areas. The western portion is similar to the rest of
26 proposed RD 52 with a median income of $75,000 to $100,000,
1 with the eastern portion outside of proposed RD 52 having a
2 median income of $45,000 to $75,000.
3     The northernmost portion of proposed RD 52 moves east by
4 following Neville Road and County Highway 44 and then south
5 following well-trafficked US-12 before entering the community
6 surrounding the Bangs Lake. A westward pitch in proposed RD 52
7 in Wauconda Township allows the Bangs Lake community to remain
8 full and intact. In Cuba Township, proposed RD 52's boundaries
9 shift, losing all of Tower Lakes, most of North Barrington and
10 Barrington, and a portion of Lake Barrington to proposed RD 51.
11 These losses are made up by adding all of Oakwood Hills and
12 Port Barrington, most of Island Lake, and a portion of Prairie
13 Grove.
14     The partisan composition of proposed RD 52 is substantially
15 similar to the partisan composition of current RD 52.
16     Under proposed RD 52, the voting age percentages for
17 Caucasians, African Americans, Hispanics and Asians will
18 remain very similar to current RD 52. Proposed RD 52 has an
19 African American voting-age population  of 1.01%, a Hispanic
5     To create a district with equal population that strengthens
6 communities of interest, proposed RD 53 shifts south to include
7 a majority of Arlington Heights, Prospect Heights, and Mount
8 Prospect, with small portions of Des Plaines and Wheeling.
9     Proposed RD 53 contains major portions of current RDs 53
10 and 66, and portions of current RDs 57 and 65.  Proposed RD 53
11 is entirely within Cook County.  Proposed RD 53 contains
12 portions of Elk Grove, Maine, and Wheeling Townships and
13 removes current RD 53's portions of Palatine and Vernon
14 Townships.  Proposed RD 53 contains almost all of Arlington
15 Heights, with small populations of residents north of Hintz
16 Road, west of Ridge Avenue and south of Golf Road in adjacent
17 districts.  Proposed RD 53 also contains the majority of Mount
18 Prospect, with small portions south of Dempster Street, east of
19 the North Central Metra Line, and between Euclid Avenue and
20 Rand Road remaining in adjacent districts.  Proposed RD 53
21 includes more of Arlington Heights and Mount Prospect than any
22 current House district.  A majority of Prospect Heights is also
23 retained in proposed RD 53.  Proposed RD 53 removes Buffalo
24 Grove, allowing the community to remain more intact in other
25 districts that are centered in Lake County.  Proposed RD 53's
26 new borders allows the district to take in more of Arlington
1 Heights, Mount Prospect and Prospect Heights, while allowing
2 surrounding districts to achieve equal population.
3     The communities within proposed RD 53 are connected by the
4 Unions Pacific Northwest Metra Line, U.S. Highway 12, U.S.
5 Highway 14, and Illinois Route 83.  Along the perimeters of the
6 district are Interstate 90, Illinois Route 53, Algonquin Road,
7 Golf Road, and the North Central Metra Line.  As many of
8 proposed RD 53's residents commute to work within the suburbs
9 or to the city of Chicago, public transportation options and
10 the quality of local roadways matter a great deal.  These
11 commuters form a community of interest.
12     The residents moving to and living in this area are upper
13 middle class.  The median family income throughout the district
14 is generally between $68,654 and $147,955, with large pockets
15 of the district ranging from $98,750 to $147,955.  This creates
16 a homogeneous community of interest in their shared economic
17 position.
18     There are several pockets of Asian communities within
19 proposed RD 53, forming a community of interest.  Proposed RD 53
20 has three Asian worship centers within the district to serve
21 this community of interest: the Korean Central United Methodist
22 Church; the Agape Presbyterian Church; and Rissho Kosei-Kai of
24     Almost half of the population of proposed RD 53 comes from
25 current RD 66. Proposed RD 53 maintains a partisan composition
26 that reflects the relative average of the current districts
1 within the new boundaries.
2     Proposed RD 53 has a 1.34% African American voting-age
3 population, a 7.16% Hispanic voting-age population, and an
4 8.72% Asian-American voting-age population.
14 current RD 54. Proposed RD 54 is entirely within Cook County.
15 Current and proposed RD 54 are anchored by Arlington Park Race
16 Track in the southeast, Northwest Highway that cuts through the
17 district, Illinois Route 53 that leads to major Interstate
18 Highways, the UP-NW Metra Route, and suburban neighborhoods
19 with higher-end commercial areas.
20     Sections of Palatine and Arlington Heights in the northeast
21 corner of current RD 54, that contains the entrance onto
22 Illinois Route 53, Palatine High School, and a large commercial
23 retail area, including a Whole Foods Market, Staples, Target,
24 and several restaurants, are removed from proposed RD 54.
25     There is a pocket of Hispanic population clustered in the
1 area that is removed from proposed RD 54, mainly to keep that
2 community of interest intact in a neighboring district.  The
3 removed section has a lower income level than the rest of
4 proposed RD 54, and this change makes proposed RD 54 more
5 similar economically. Socioeconomically, the district is
6 fairly affluent with income levels mostly in the $68,000 to
7 $148,000 range.
8     To achieve equal population, three new areas are added to
9 proposed RD 54.  In the northwestern corner of the district,
10 more of Barrington is added to keep Baker's Lake and the
11 Barrington Forest Preserve intact instead of splitting it as in
12 current RD 54.  Proposed RD 54 also includes all of Deer Grove
13 Forest Preserve and Paul Douglas Forest Preserve.  Uniting these
14 forest preserves in one district allows residents in the
15 surrounding areas to ensure the natural resources in their
16 communities are well represented.  It also joins together
17 communities of suburban residents who want to live near urban
18 areas but also have proximity to more open space.  The community
19 around Baker's Lake also includes several large car dealerships
20 and other employers, its own post office, elementary school,
21 and fire department.
22     Proposed RD 54 adds Harper College and the neighborhood
23 immediately to the east of the college.  This area is similar in
24 income level to the rest of proposed RD 54.
25     Current RD 54 has an Asian population scattered throughout
26 the district. Proposed RD 54 contains the following three Asian
1 worship centers throughout to better serve the Asian community
2 of interest: Sikh Religious Society; New Life Community Church;
3 and Chicago Northwest Suburbs Chinese Christian Church.
4     Three-fifths of the population in proposed RD 54 resides in
5 current RD 54. The partisan composition of proposed RD 54 is
6 almost identical to the current composition under current RD
9 population, 8.82% Hispanic  voting-age population, and 9.33%
10 Asian voting-age population.
12     Due to the shifting of other districts, current RD 65 is
13 essentially renumbered as proposed RD 55.  According to the 2010
14 Census, current RD 65 has a population of 105,147.  Proposed RD
15 55 has a population of 108,735, the equal-population target,
16 and is therefore compliant with the "one person, one vote"
17 principle.  Proposed RD 55 is different in shape from current RD
18 65 due, in part, to population shifts and the need to increase
19 the total population of the district.
20     The population of proposed RD 55 includes  59.59% of current
21 RD 65. Proposed RD 55 also contains portions of current RDs 20,
22 57, and 66.  Like current RD 65, proposed RD 55 is entirely
23 within Cook County.  Current RD 65 contains portions of the
24 municipalities of Chicago, Des Plaines, Rosemont, Niles,
25 Norridge, Mount Prospect, and Elk Grove Village, and most of
1 Park Ridge.  Portions of Chicago, Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Mount
2 Prospect, and Elk Grove Village remain in proposed RD 55.
3 Rosemont, Niles and Norridge, along the eastern portion of
4 current RD 65 are not in proposed RD 55 due to shifting
5 proposed RD 55 north and west.  The western portion of proposed
6 RD 55 adds portions of Arlington Heights and Rolling Meadows
7 along with large segments of Elk Grove Village.  These areas
8 have similar median incomes to those areas both in current RD
9 65 and the newly added areas of proposed RD 55 in Mt. Prospect
10 and Des Plaines.  Park Ridge, which is largely in current RD 65,
11 is only partially in proposed RD 55.  This split occurs along
12 Busse Highway/Northwest Highway.  Park Ridge in proposed RD 55
13 is split along the line of the Metra train tracks and Busse
14 Highway, running northwest to the southeast.  Immediately north
15 of Busse Highway and the train tracks is Northwest Highway, and
16 all three together create a distinct division between the
17 residential areas of Park Ridge.  Park Ridge south of this
18 division is in proposed RD 55. These changes are due in part to
19 a need to achieve equal population.
20     Proposed RD 55 links areas with median incomes between
21 $44,000 to $99,000 in current RD 65 with similar areas to the
22 north in current RD 57 and to the west in current RD 66.  Areas
23 farther north in both current RD 57 and current RD 66 that are
24 not included in proposed RD 55 have median incomes as high as
25 $148,000.  Median income areas under $99,000 that are added to
26 proposed RD 55 from current RD 57 are predominately in Des
1 Plaines.  These areas are joined to similar areas in Des Plaines
2 that are within current RD 65 and proposed RD 55.  Elk Grove
3 Village east of Interstate 290 also has a median income that is
4 also below $99,000.  Portions of current RD 66 that are included
5 in proposed RD 55 are more similar socioeconomically to areas
6 east of Interstate 290 than other nearby areas.  The areas that
7 would be considered less similar socioeconomically to proposed
8 RD 55 - west of I-290 in current RD 56 and to the south in
9 DuPage County in current RD 46 - are not included in proposed
10 RD 55.
11     Communities in proposed RD 55 are linked by Interstate 90,
12 running east to west.  The eastern portion of the district is
13 also served by Interstate 294 which runs north from Interstate
14 90.  These two interstates, and in particular Interstate 90, and
15 the arterial roads that feed them allow residents of proposed
16 RD 55 to easily travel to nearby areas where many jobs are
17 concentrated such as Woodfield Mall immediately west of the
18 district, the business and retail districts around O'Hare
19 Airport to the south of proposed RD 55, and downtown Chicago.
20 Two Metra lines, North Central Service and Union Pacific NW,
21 run through proposed RD 55 providing residents with easy access
22 to downtown Chicago for work or recreation.
25 Proposed RD 55 keeps the incumbent with the core of the
1 developed over the past 18 years. However, the partisan
2 composition of the incumbent party is slightly lower than the
3 composition in the incumbent's current district.
4     Proposed RD 55 includes a 2.15% African American voting-age
5 population, a 14.04% Hispanic voting-age population, and a
6 9.07% Asian voting-age population.
9 population of 102,327. In its proposed form, RD 56 has a
10 population of 108,734 and is therefore compliant with the "one
11 person, one vote" principle. Proposed RD 56 is different in
12 shape from current RD 56 due in part to population shifts and
13 the need to increase the total population by 6,407.
14     The population of proposed RD 56 includes  86.16% of
15 residents of  current RD 56.  Overall, the borders are
16 substantially similar to current RD 56, with portions of
17 current RDs 44, 45, 55, and 66 added to increase the population
18 and enhance the compactness of proposed RD 56.
19     The core of proposed RD 56 is Schaumburg and Schaumburg
20 Township, similar to current RD 56. In proposed RD 56, the
21 eastern border of current RD 56 is extended eastward to the
22 border between Schaumburg and Elk Grove Townships so that those
23 portions of eastern Schaumburg and Schaumburg Township that are
24 in current RD 66 are joined with the majority of Schaumburg and
25 Schaumburg Township.  The eastern border along Schaumburg and
1 Elk Grove Township closely follows Interstate 290. The border
2 of proposed RD 56 is expanded to continue following Interstate
3 290, which brings in parts of Elk Grove Township. The southern
4 boundary extends west along the Cook County-DuPage County
5 border, as it does in current RD 56, to include portions of
6 Roselle. Proposed RD 56 deviates from current RD 56 by heading
7 west along Lake Street and the southern border of Roselle.
8 Proposed RD 56 removes Bloomingdale altogether so that it may
9 be included in another proposed district, but continues to
10 include portions of Roselle and Hanover Park in Bloomingdale
11 Township.
12     Proposed RD 56 also includes part of Hanover Park in Wayne
13 Township. Hanover Park Mayor Rod Craig testified at the Elgin
14 House Redistricting Hearing on April 18, 2011 that he feels it
15 is healthy that Hanover Park is and should continue to be
16 represented by multiple representatives.  He felt the diversity
17 of views benefited his community. Under proposed RD 56, Hanover
18 Park continues to have multiple representatives.
19     Proposed RD 56 extends the border west into Wayne Township
20 to encompass additional parts of Hanover Park and to add Asian
21 population to the existing Asian community of interest. At the
22 Elgin House Redistricting hearing on April 18, 2011, Roger
23 Bianco, a private citizen and a member of the Schaumburg
24 Township Democrats, indicated that there has been a significant
25 demographic shift in the township resulting in an increase in
26 the Asian population.  He indicated he would like to see
1 communities of interest, like the Asians, taken into
2 consideration during the redistricting process.  Proposed RD 66
3 not only keeps much of the Asian community in Schaumburg
4 Township together but also adds to it in Schaumburg Township
5 and DuPage County.
6     At the southwest corner of proposed RD 56, the boundary
7 heads north along the border of Hanover Park to the border of
8 Cook and DuPage Counties, then east to Schaumburg. The border
9 then extends north, including a small portion of the Schaumburg
10 that is in current RD 44.  Small portions of Schaumburg
11 previously within other districts are joined in proposed RD 56.
12 The northern border is almost identical to current RD 56,
13 except for a small portion of Rolling Meadows, which is almost
14 entirely removed.
15     Proposed RD 56 maintains a significant majority of the
16 population within current RD 56. Because much of the current
17 district remains unchanged, the partisan composition of
18 proposed  RD 56 is substantially similar to the partisan
6     The shape of the district differs based on the need to gain
7 more population to the west. This change is due to significant
8 changes to the south and east of current RD 57, where other
9 districts also need to gain population. The result is that
10 portions of the eastern and central current RD 57 in Northfield
11 and Wheeling townships remain in proposed RD 57 and proposed RD
12 57 extends west to take in more of Wheeling and parts of
13 Palatine and Vernon townships. The westward expansion in the
14 center of proposed RD 57 where it narrows follows as close as
15 possible to the Wheeling city border.
16     The northwestern border of the district is drawn to ensure
17 that the city of Buffalo Grove is split into only two
18 districts. The far west border extends to take in a portion of
19 Palatine township, which is necessary to gain population. The
20 western edge reaches out to bring in the more densely populated
21 areas of Palatine that border Wheeling Township, but not the
22 less dense open space or forest areas further west. The
23 southeastern border maintains portions of current RD 57 and
24 traces along the previous district border line in the far
25 southwest corner. The narrow southwestern portion is drawn to
26 keep the majority of the cities of Prospect Heights and
1 Arlington Heights in a neighboring district.
2     As with current RD 57, both Northfield and Wheeling
3 Townships are in proposed RD 57. Proposed RD 57 includes part
4 of Vernon Township in Lake County and Palatine Township. Cities
5 in proposed RD 57 include Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Des
6 Plaines, Glenview, Northbrook, Palatine, Prospect Heights and
7 Wheeling. The main difference from current RD 57 is the
8 exclusion of Niles and the addition of Buffalo Grove. The
9 majority of proposed RD 57 is in Cook County with a portion in
10 southern Lake County. The purpose of including the Lake County
11 portion in proposed RD 57 is to include enough of the city of
12 Buffalo Grove to ensure the city is only split between two
13 districts. Proposed RD 57 also allows more of the Lake County
14 portion of Buffalo Grove to remain with the rest of the Lake
15 County section of the city.
17 consistent. Northbrook, the northern portion of Buffalo Grove,
18 and part of Palatine all have slightly higher median incomes of
19 $99,000 to $148,000 a year with the majority of the remainder
20 of the district between $44,000 and $99,000 a year. This level
21 of parity in median income creates a district of similar
22 socioeconomic characteristics that help bind the interests of
23 the residents. The only area where the median income drops
24 below $44,000 is the section of northeast Palatine Township on
25 the far western edge of the district. However, that section is
26 more similar to the urban areas of proposed RD 57 than the more
1 rural areas of the areas of Palatine to the west of proposed RD
2 57 making this western portion a more natural fit in proposed
3 RD 57 than in any neighboring districts.
4     The partisan composition of proposed RD 57 is nearly
5 identical to the partisan composition of current RD 57.
6     The Hispanic voting-age population is 17.89%, with the
7 densest portion in the western section of Palatine Township. As
8 previously noted, this portion of Palatine township is included
9 in proposed RD 57 to gain population. It also creates a
10 community of interest whereby the more urban and densely
11 populated Hispanic voters in northwest Palatine are placed in a
12 similarly dense urban dense area rather than in a district to
13 their north or west where there are no notable Hispanic
14 populations.
15     The Asian voting-age population is 12.42%. This is a
16 decrease from current RD 57 due to the changes in the eastern
17 districts that resulted in a movement away from Niles,
18 Glenview, and Park Ridge which have Indian and Pakistani
19 communities. The Asian population in proposed RD 57 is
20 scattered throughout the district, with the most densely
21 populated section in the Northfield / Wheeling township area
22 that is also in current RD 57.
23     Proposed RD 57 has 2.02% African American voting-age
8     Proposed RD 58 maintains the general outline of current RD
9 58 and 76.31% of the population resides in  current RD 58.
10 Compared to current RD 58, proposed RD 58 reduces the portion
11 of the district within Cook County and increases the portion
12 within Lake County.. The majority of current RD 58 lies within
13 Lake County, with a small portion in Cook County along the
14 southern border.  Further, proposed RD 58 adds a portion of
15 current RD 59's western border. All but a small portion of the
16 City of Lake Forest is included within proposed RD 58. Proposed
17 RD 58 contains all of Bannockburn, Highland Park, and Lake
18 Bluff and portions of Deerfield, Glencoe, Knollwood, Lake
19 Bluff, Lake Forest, Lincolnshire, Northbrook, North Chicago
20 and Riverwoods. Lincolnshire and North Chicago are included in
21 proposed RD 58.  These changes are made to achieve equal
22 population, to make the district more of a Lake County
23 district, and to ensure the district is more compact.
24     Current RD 58 contains, in its entirety, Lake County Board
25 Districts 17 and 23. It also contains portions of Lake County
26 Board Districts 11 and 16 and portions of Cook County Board
1 Districts 13 and 14.  Proposed RD 58 adds portions of Lake
2 County Board Districts 11, 12, and 16, while reducing areas
3 within the two Cook County Board Districts. These changes add
4 population in Lake County and portions of Lake Forest that are
5 in current RD 59.
6     Proposed RD 58 contains all of Moraine Township in Lake
7 County (as it is in current RD 58) and adds all of West
8 Deerfield Township (only a portion is in current RD 58).
9 Proposed RD 58 contains a greater portion of Shields Township,
10 reduces the portions of New Trier and Northfield Townships in
11 Cook County, and adds the Lake County townships of Vernon and
12 Libertyville.  The addition of these new townships places the
13 overwhelming majority of the City of Lake Forest within
14 proposed RD 58. Lake Forest is currently divided between
15 current RD 58 and 59.
16     Three-fifths of the population within proposed RD 58
17 resides in current RD 58, which preserves
19 the last decade. The current partisan composition of the
20 incumbent party is higher than the composition of the
21 incumbent's current district.
22     Proposed RD 58 has a 4.34% African American voting-age
5     Proposed RD 59 is similar in shape to current RD 59 and
6 shares many of the same boundaries, but differs slightly due in
7 part to population shifts and the need to reduce the total
8 population of proposed RD 59.  Of the population in proposed RD
9 59, 80.21% reside in current RD 59. Like current RD 59,
10 proposed RD 59 is within Cook and Lake Counties, with most of
11 its population in Lake County.  While proposed RD 59 adds
12 population in Fremont Township, it is more compact than current
13 RD 59 as it recedes entirely from Northfield, Shields and West
14 Deerfield townships. Current RD 59 contains residents of 22
15 municipalities and unincorporated communities while proposed
16 RD 59 removes all of its population in Great Lakes, Green Oaks,
17 Lake Bluff, Libertyville and Long Grove, and most of Lake
18 Forest, Gurnee, Knollwood, and North Chicago, while expanding
19 in Buffalo Grove, Mundelein, Waukegan and adding
20 unincorporated community of Horatio Gardens in Lake County.
21     The boundary of proposed RD 59 follows the existing
22 district lines in most areas. Where the district recedes from
23 villages or adds population, proposed RD 59 follows natural
24 geographic boundaries, roads and local government divisions.
25 The western border and much of the southern border of proposed
26 RD 59 in Cook County are the same as current RD 59, then follow
1 township lines to remove Northfield Township.  In northeastern
2 Vernon Township, the district excludes Lake Forest and portions
3 of unincorporated Lake Forest and Lincolnshire, both more
4 similar to Lake Forest with larger properties that are farther
5 away from each other.  Here the district follows Illinois Route
6 22 West, then heads north along Riverwoods Road and east along
7 Everett Road to Interstate 94.  Proposed RD 59 still contains a
8 small, non-residential portion of Lake Forest surrounding the
9 tollway oasis and Chicago Bears practice facilities, which are
10 major landmarks in the area.  Proposed RD 59 then again follows
11 township boundaries north.
12     The north border of proposed RD 59 ends at Washington
13 Street, which allows proposed RD 59 to lose Gurnee without
14 losing population from Park City. Proposed RD 59 then follows
15 precinct lines to take in a portion of Waukegan with mostly
16 newer developments that are more similar to the portions of
17 Waukegan in current RD 59.  Proposed RD 59 then follows
18 Interstate 94 and local roads and removes the residential
19 portion of Green Oaks, retaining only small commercial portions
20 of this village.
21     Proposed RD 59 uses local roads and railroads as boundaries
22 to remove portions of Mettawa.  The removed areas are mostly
23 open spaces and more similar to other areas to the north along
24 the Des Plaines River and near the Old School Forest Preserve
25 in portions of Libertyville, Green Oaks and other
26 unincorporated areas not included in proposed RD 59.  In Vernon
1 Hills, proposed RD 59 follows roadways as boundaries to remove
2 population and keep residents of Vernon Hills living in new
3 developments that were not inhabited during the 2000 Census
4 process in the same district with similar communities and
5 developments along the Milwaukee Avenue corridor to the north
6 in Libertyville.  West of these developments, proposed RD 59
7 follows the EJ & E Railroad tracks and continues straight
8 through White Deer Run Golf Course then follows Gregg's Parkway
9 to Butterfield Road.
10     In Mundelein, proposed RD 59's boundary moves slightly
11 north to take in the commercial businesses on the north side of
12 Allanson Road, then travels north along the high voltage power
13 lines to St. Mary's Lake, taking in Carmel Catholic High School
14 and St. Mary's of the Lake Seminary.  Proposed RD 59 then
15 follows local roadways and open space south of Loch Lomond and
16 adds Mundelein High School, Church of the Nazarene, Sure
17 Foundation Church, Calvary Baptist Church and Kirk of the Lakes
18 Presbyterian Church until the boundary rejoins the high voltage
19 lines on the south side of Mundelein.
20     Proposed RD 59 again uses the high voltage power lines as a
21 natural border and follows the eastern border of Long Grove
22 until rejoining current RD 59 border at Checker Road in Buffalo
23 Grove.  The southern border of proposed RD 59 shifts south to
24 strengthen a community of interest and take on increased
25 population to ensure that Buffalo Grove is represented by only
26 two representatives instead of three as it is under current RD
2     Vernon Township in southern Lake County has several
3 significant communities that are unincorporated from the
4 surrounding village of Buffalo Grove, and these regions are
5 strengthened as a community of interest in proposed RD 59.
6 Current RD 59 has two major unincorporated communities
7 bordering Buffalo Grove: unincorporated Prairie View and
8 unincorporated Deerfield. Proposed RD 59 expands the southern
9 border along Deerfield Parkway in Buffalo Grove to include the
10 unincorporated community of Horatio Gardens.  These
11 unincorporated areas pay lower property taxes and share common
12 services through the county and nearby municipalities.
13     Many residents live in the communities in proposed RD 59
14 because of the high quality public schools.  Proposed RD 59
15 expands the community of interest of high-performing public
16 schools as it expands to include five additional high schools.
17 These groups of residents are kept together in an educational
18 community of interest in proposed RD 59. This community of
19 interest provides a high quality of life and outstanding
20 education within the Aptakisic-Tripp Consolidated School
21 District and Stevenson High School District 125, but at a lower
22 cost of living due to the lower property taxes paid.
23 Incorporating Horatio Gardens into proposed RD 59 strengthens
24 this community of interest.
25     There are several senior retirement communities within
26 proposed RD 59, including a senior residential community in the
1 portion of Northbrook kept in proposed RD 59.  These senior
2 residential facilities create a community of interest.  In
3 addition to this community, apartment-style independent living
4 facilities through proposed RD 59 include Sedgebrook in
5 Lincolnshire, The Park at Vernon Hills and Hawthorne Lakes in
6 Vernon Hills.  Senior citizens residing in these communities are
7 strengthened as a community of interest.
8     The area included in proposed RD 59 continues growing with
9 new development and housing. While the area is experiencing
10 growth, new residents move here because they appreciate the
11 open space compared to other more congested areas of the
12 suburbs. The median income for the area shows that those
13 families moving in are becoming more upper middle class as
14 opposed to the area in the south where incomes are more
15 moderate.
16     The boundaries of proposed RD 59 contain most of the core
17 of current RD 59. The partisan composition favoring the
18 incumbent increases slightly under proposed RD 59.
19     There are pockets of Hispanics in various regions of the
20 district, including Mundelein, Park City, Prairie View and
21 Wheeling, which are kept together as a community of interest
22 under proposed RD 59. Proposed RD 59 has an African American
24 population of 18.89%, and an Asian voting-age population of
25 12.95%.
6 RD 60 is different in shape from current RD 60 due in part to
9     In its proposed form, RD 60 contains 81.78% of current RD
10 60.  Proposed RD 60 has few changes from RD 60, including the
11 minority composition. In order to achieve equal population,
12 proposed RD 60 has expanded to the north and northwest, adding
13 more of Waukegan, eastern Gurnee, the southern portion of Beach
14 Park and a sliver of Park City.  In addition, proposed RD 60
15 loses a portion of North Chicago.
16     Proposed RD 60 is contained entirely within Lake County and
17 includes all of Waukegan Township, whereas current RD 60 only
18 contains a portion of Waukegan Township. Proposed RD 60 splits
19 two townships, Shields Township on the southern portion of the
20 district, which is also split in current RD 60, and Warren
21 Township in the northwest portion of the district.  In Shields
22 Township, the proposed border follows the current border
23 through the City of Waukegan along Highway 137/Buckley Road
24 until it heads north and east along railroad tracks and streets
25 for a short distance before reaching the shores of Lake
26 Michigan.
1     Proposed RD 60 extends north along Lake Michigan and then
2 west along the northern Waukegan and Warren township lines
3 until reaching the Soo Rail Line.  Forming proposed RD 60's
4 western border, the district follows the Soo Rail Line south
5 into the community of Gurnee, turning east generally along
6 Washington Street until it reaches the Waukegan Township line
7 in the community of Park City.  Finally, the western border is
8 complete as the boundary moves south along the western Waukegan
9 and Shield townships lines, eventually meeting proposed
10 district's southern border.
11     Proposed RD 60 is primarily middle-class with a majority
12 median family income range between $44,205 and $68,654 that
13 remains consistent with current RD 60.  The portions of current
14 RD 59 that are added to RD 60 are more economically similar to
15 proposed RD 60 than proposed RD 59.
16     The district's reliance on Lake Michigan as an economic
17 engine and recreational attraction provides for a community of
18 interest.  Proposed RD 60 contains the southernmost portion of
19 the Illinois Beach State Park South.  This community of interest
20 is especially important as the lakefront communities continue
21 to deal with issues of hazardous pollution and efforts to
22 revitalize the area.
23     Proposed RD 60 has several areas of Waukegan and North
24 Chicago with high crime rates and the efforts of local
25 residents who are working to protect their neighborhoods form a
26 community of interest. Another community of interest exists
1 through the district as many residents rely on public transit
2 and commute to Chicago via the Union Pacific-North Line.
3     Proposed RD 60 removes almost all of the Great Lakes Naval
4 Training Center to maintain that community of interest in
5 proposed RD 58. Waukegan and the surrounding communities of
6 Park City and North Chicago experience similar challenges and
7 proposed RD 60 keeps large portions of these communities
8 together.  Stella Jones testified on behalf of Democrats United
9 for Fairness at the House redistricting hearing in Waukegan on
10 April 19, 2011, and stated that the communities of North
11 Chicago, Park City, and Waukegan face similar challenges
12 including the lack of fair housing, low graduation rates, and
13 higher crime rates.  Ms. Jones requested that these communities
14 continue to be in the same district so the residents who share
15 similar concerns can continue to benefit from the services
16 provided to these communities.
17     Proposed RD 60 contains a vast majority of current RD 60.
18 However, the partisan advantage favoring the incumbent
19 decreases compared to current RD 60.
21 population of 21.61%, Hispanic voting-age population of
22 46.64%, and an Asian voting-age population of 3.2%.  The
23 expansion of current district's boundaries north and northwest
24 adds areas of larger predominately Hispanic population.
7 of the district by almost 12,000 people.
8     Proposed RD 61, located entirely within Lake County,
9 reduces its size on the west and southeast while gaining more
10 land in the south central part of the district to make the area
11 more compact and contiguous. Proposed RD 61 is more compact and
12 includes 59.37% of current RD 61, 33.58% of current RD 62, and
13 small portions of 52.
14     Like current RD 61, proposed RD 61 maintains its northern
15 border as the Illinois-Wisconsin state line and its eastern
16 border as Lake Michigan.  However, in order to achieve equal
17 population, yet maintain the district's interests, the south
18 central border is adjusted to take in portions of Venetian
19 Village and Long Lake.
20     The proposed RD 61 also recedes completely out of Channel
21 Lake, Lake Catherine, Fox Lake, Fox Lake Hills, while including
22 the communities of Antioch, Gurnee, Lake Villa, Old Mill Creek,
23 Lindenhurst, Wadsworth, Beach Park, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor,
24 and Zion,  which are currently located in RD 61. Proposed RD 61
25 also includes Third Lake, Gages Park, and Grandwood Park.
26     In addition to the needed balance of population, the shift
1 of the district into the Lindenhurst area was necessary to
2 bring the local Hispanic populations together in the same
3 representative district.  In a redistricting hearing that was
4 held in nearby Waukegan, several Hispanic organizations spoke
5 about the need for a more unified representative district that
6 took into account the growing number of Hispanics in the
7 northern Lake County Region.  Proposed RD 61 accomplishes this
8 by moving into the Lindenhurst area and portions of Gurnee to
9 include them in the same district with the Hispanic families
10 that make up the Old Mill Creek, Beach Park and Zion
11 communities.
12     Socioeconomically, the district contains middle and
13 upper-middle income residents, with median incomes between
14 $75,000 and $150,000; however, there are segments of residents
15 with higher incomes. Lower-middle income residents are located
16 in the eastern end of proposed RD 61.
17     Proposed RD 61 also recognizes a community of interest in
18 that it contains a number of communities that border the state
19 of Wisconsin.  As Illinois competes for jobs and federal
20 resources with neighboring states, the communities of this
21 border district are major stakeholders and a community of
22 interest.  The district continues to be more of an east-west
23 district rather than a north-south district to keep this
24 community of interest intact.
25     Proposed RD 61 retains the core of current RD 61 and
26 subsequently has a substantially similar partisan composition
1 compared to current RD 61.
2     Proposed RD 61 would contain an African American voting-age
4 12.06% and an Asian voting-age population of 6.39%.
13     Proposed RD 62 retains 69.22% of population of  current RD
14 62. In order to achieve equal population, proposed RD 62, which
15 is located entirely within Lake County, shifts to the west and
16 extends southwest  while receding out of Gurnee, Grandwest Park,
17 Lindenhurst, Old Mill Creek, Venetian Village, Long Lake, Round
18 Lake Park, and Round Lake Heights.  Proposed RD 62 adds more of
19 Round Lake Park and Round Lake to keep the municipalities
20 intact and extends into portions of Wauconda to achieve equal
21 population. Proposed RD 62 also expands its territory in
22 Grayslake, which is now almost completely in proposed RD 62.
23     The central portion of proposed RD 62 includes a community
24 of interest made up of homeowners who live along the district's
25 many lakes, wetlands, and forest preserves.  These individuals
1 live in similar housing and live where they do because it
2 provides local access to quality schools, natural areas, and
3 retail shopping, all within a commute to major employers in
4 Chicago.  The additional population added in Long Lake on
5 proposed RD 62's western edge also fits into this community of
7     Proposed RD 62 acknowledges a tourism and recreational
8 community of interest consisting of the population impacted by
9 the attractions of the Gurnee Mills Mall and Six Flags Great
10 America.  These businesses and surrounding attractions bring in
11 visitors from around the region and provide a vital source of
12 revenue for local communities, create jobs, and keep many
13 tourism businesses running.
14     As the population of Lake County continues to grow,
15 commuter traffic and city planning have become major issues as
16 residents and businesses contend with extreme traffic
17 congestion.  A controversial plan to expand Belvidere Road is of
18 major interest to all residents of proposed RD 62.  More of this
19 roadway is added to proposed RD 62 allowing commuters and
20 landowners to have a representative who will be responsive on
21 the issue.
22     At a redistricting hearing in Waukegan, several Hispanic
23 organizations testified about the need to take into account the
24 growing number of Hispanics in the northern Lake County region.
25 A Round Lake resident urged that all of Round Lake be included
26 in one Legislative District. Proposed RD 62 keeps virtually all
1 of the Round Lake community intact and in one Representative
4 and preserves the incumbent-constituent relationship that has
5 developed over the last two election cycles. The partisan
6 advantage in favor of the incumbent decreases slightly compared
7 to the current partisan composition under current RD 62.
19     All of the residents within proposed RD 63 live in  current
20 RD 63.  Proposed RD 63 reduces population by removing areas in
21 the communities of Crystal Lake, Lakewood, McHenry, Johnsburg,
22 Spring Grove, and Fox Lake. All but a small section of
23 Woodstock remains in proposed RD 63.  Proposed RD 63 is entirely
24 within current RD 63, but removes these areas to reduce the
25 necessary population.
1     Proposed RD 63 maintains a similar shape as current RD 63
2 while accounting for population change and preserving
3 communities.  The northern boundary is the state line; the
4 western boundary is along the McHenry County line; the southern
5 boundary keeps all of Riley and Coral Townships within the
6 district; and the eastern boundary runs along the township
7 divide between Coral and Grafton on the south, splitting Dorr,
8 McHenry and Richmond Townships. The split townships differ from
9 those split in current RD 63 in order to reduce population.
10     Interstate 90 crosses the southwestern section of the
11 district, connecting the district to Chicago and Wisconsin.  The
12 Union Pacific Northwest Metra line runs from the east central
13 border of proposed RD 63 in Woodstock to Harvard; and the
14 eastern arm of the Metra runs from outside of the district in
15 Crystal Lake to McHenry.  The Fox River connects communities
16 along the eastern boundary of proposed RD 63.  Wonder Lake and
17 McCullom Lake are included in their entirety within proposed RD
18 63.  Most of proposed RD 63 is agricultural land and grasslands,
19 with medium to low-density urban land, urban open space and
20 minimal high-density urban land in the cities of McHenry,
21 Harvard, Woodstock and Marengo.  There has been recent growth in
22 the area and the residents here have common interests.  The
23 residents in proposed RD 63 prefer a suburban feel to their
24 surroundings with convenient commercial areas.
25     The key differences between proposed RD 63 and current RD
26 63 are due to population reduction along the central eastern
1 edge in Dorr Township.  Proposed RD 63 removes population from
2 McHenry Township to keep the city of McHenry more intact in a
3 bordering district.  The proposed district loses all of Burton
4 Township and most of the city of Spring Grove.  The section of
5 Spring Grove that is within proposed RD 63 is lightly populated
6 and the split occurs so that the majority of the population of
7 Spring Grove remains together, outside of the district.  The
8 core of Woodstock is kept intact in the proposed RD 63 to
9 maintain equal population.
10     McHenry County remains split, as it is in the current RD
11 63.  Proposed RD 63 includes the following townships in their
12 entirety: Alden, Chemung, Coral, Dunham, Greenwood, Hartland,
13 Hebron, Marengo, Riley and Seneca.  Proposed RD 63 splits the
14 townships of: Dorr, McHenry, and Richmond.  Dorr Township is
15 split in such a way as to keep more of the city of Woodstock
16 together in proposed RD 63.  Most of Woodstock is in proposed RD
17 63, with precinct Dorr 11 in proposed RD 64 to keep that
18 precinct intact.  The city of Woodstock is also split along its
19 eastern border to keep several cul de sacs together in one
20 district.  The part of Crystal Lake included in RD 63 is
21 precinct Dorr 10, and the majority of the rest of the city is
22 in proposed RD 64.  McHenry Township is split to keep the
23 community of Pistakee Highlands together in RD 63 and to keep
24 the city of Lakemoor together outside of the district.  Richmond
25 Township is split to keep more of the village of Richmond
26 together in the proposed RD 63 and keep more of the city of
1 Spring Grove together outside of proposed RD 63.  The cities of
2 Marengo, Union, Chemung, Harvard, Hebron, McCullom Lake,
3 Richmond, Ringwood, Pistakee Highlands and Greenwood are
4 entirely within the proposed RD 63.  The parts of Bull Valley
5 located in Greenwood Township are in proposed RD 63 and the
6 parts of Bull Valley located in McHenry Township are in
7 proposed RD 64.  Bull Valley is split in the same manner under
8 current RD 63.  The southeastern part of the city of Wonder Lake
9 is not in RD 63 and is instead in RD 64 to keep the precinct of
10 McHenry 10 intact in one district.
11     McHenry County has experienced a surge in population in the
12 last two decades, with the southwest portion of the county
13 seeing the most growth.  Communities in the slower growth areas
14 share more common characteristics with each other than with the
15 communities in the southwest corner, and those slower growth
16 areas remain together in proposed RD 63.  The majority of rural
17 and agricultural portions of McHenry County are within proposed
18 RD 63, helping to reflect the wishes of Mary Donner,
19 Vice-Chairperson for the Planning and Development committee of
20 McHenry County, at the House Redistricting hearing in Marengo,
21 IL on April 16, 2011.
22     The boundaries of proposed RD 63 maintain almost the entire
23 core of current RD 63. This allows the incumbent-constituent
24 relationship that has existed over the past decade to be
25 preserved. Because the core has been held substantially intact,
26 the partisan composition of proposed RD 63 is similar to the
1 partisan composition of current RD 63.
2     In proposed RD 63, the voting-age population of Hispanic
3 residents is 12.78% , the voting-age population for African
4 American residents is 0.90%, and the voting-age population for
5 Asian residents is 1.18%.   Smaller Hispanic populations are
6 spread out across the district. Most of the district is
7 comprised of middle-class incomes ranging from $68,654 to
8 $98,750.
14 RD 64, located in  McHenry and Lake counties, consists of
15 portions of current RDs 52, 61, 62, 63, and 64.
16     Using the Wisconsin-Illinois state line as its northern
17 border, proposed RD 64 follows the McHenry-Lake County line
18 south and then expands east to west to include the communities
19 of Spring Grove, Fox Lake, Channel Lake, Lake Catharine,
20 Antioch, Fox Lake Hills, Johnsburg, Lakemoor, Holiday Hills,
21 McHenry, Bull Valley, Woodstock, Lakewood, Prairie Grove,
22 Wauconda, Volo, Venetian Village, Lindenhurst, Round Lake
23 Heights, and Lake Villa, as well as small portions of Island
24 Lake and Crystal Lake.  Many of these communities are spread out
25 and more rural in nature, a feature desired by local residents.
1     Proposed RD 64 contains all or portions of the townships of
2 Richmond, Burton, Antioch, Grant, McHenry, Nunda, Dorr,
3 Grafton, Algonquin, Wauconda, and Lake Villa.
4     The splits that occur in many of these communities are
5 based upon the need to achieve equal population and uses easily
6 recognizable features such as roads, lakes, and governmental
7 boundaries.  The split in Crystal Lake allows an additional lake
8 to be included in proposed RD 64 and then follows the McHenry
9 Township line, while the splits in Dorr and McHenry townships
10 allow most of the communities of Woodstock and McHenry to
11 remain in proposed RD 63.  Proposed RD 64 also takes in the more
12 outlying areas in the communities of Johnsburg and Antioch.
13 These residents live in more rural areas and the area's many
14 residential areas around several local lakes.
15     One central feature of proposed RD 64 is the area's many
16 lakes, state parks, wetlands, and forested areas.  These natural
17 resources are appealing to local residents who choose to live
18 in a relaxed and natural setting that provides easy access to
19 more populated locales for employment and recreation.  As there
20 is more population growth in McHenry and Lake counties, efforts
21 to preserve and protect proposed RD 64's natural resources
22 while balancing the need for enhanced transportation options
23 will become paramount.
24     U.S. Highway 12, Illinois Route 31, and Illinois Route 59
25 provide residents with access to Wisconsin, the suburbs and the
26 city of Chicago.  As residents contend with suburban sprawl,
1 proposed RD 64's residents who utilize or live on these
2 roadways will contend with urban planning and traffic issues,
3 creating a community of interest.
4     Proposed RD 64's median family income is predominately
5 middle class with several census blocks reporting upper middle
6 class median family incomes of $98,740 to $147,955.  There are
7 no census blocks listing a median family income of under
9     Proposed RD 64 is comprised of sections from several
10 current districts. The partisan composition of proposed RD 64
11 remains relatively similar to the average partisan
12 compositions of the current districts that now make up proposed
18     Proposed RD 65 has a population of 108,735, the
20 "one person, one vote" principle.
23 reflect the interests of the populations, several districts are
24 rearranged to accurately reflect the 2010 census data. Proposed
25 RD 65 includes much of the population  of current RD 49 (88.62%)
1 and small portions of current RDs 43, 50, 55, and 64. Proposed
3 population shifts and the need to decrease the total population
5     To achieve equal population and due to major population
6 shifts in the northwest suburbs, proposed RD 65 recedes
7 completely out of the communities of Algonquin, Burlington,
8 Sleepy Hollow, West Dundee and Carpentersville, and maintains
9 only a small portion of Gilberts.  Proposed RD 65 adds territory
10 in the southern end of current RD 49 to gain population in
11 South Elgin and Wayne.
12     Proposed RD 65 is located entirely within Kane County. The
13 boundaries, to a large degree, follow the boundary lines of
14 current RD 49, and also follow the natural dividing lines of
15 towns and major landmarks in the area.
16     Proposed RD 65 reflects the natural growth of communities
17 that are expanding outward and to the west.  The corridors along
18 Illinois Route 47 and Interstate 90 are extremely important to
19 the residents and businesses of proposed RD 65, as these
20 roadways provide key transportation routes through the
21 district and into the suburbs and city of Chicago.  As the
22 population continues to grow in the northwest suburbs and in
23 proposed RD 65, the people who utilize and live on these
24 roadways form a community of interest concerned with traffic
25 congestion, highway maintenance and construction, and
26 sprawling suburban growth.
1     Proposed RD 65 is a mixture of middle to upper-middle
2 income wage earners, with a portion of Huntley having a
3 slightly lower median income.   Outside proposed RD 65's border
4 near Elgin, the income level drops significantly, a good reason
5 for these areas to remain in an adjoining district.
6     The boundaries of proposed RD 65 also reflect the need to
7 preserve the minority influence in the area and surrounding
8 districts. Proposed RD 65 loses more of the city of Elgin to a
9 neighboring district to ensure that the African American and
10 Hispanic populations are adequately represented.
11     The boundaries of proposed RD 65 contain no portion of
12 current RD 65; however, proposed RD 65 retains the vast
13 majority of current RD 49. This preserves the
14 incumbent-constituent relationship that has existed for over a
15 decade. Additionally, proposed RD 65 retains a nearly identical
16 partisan composition compared to the composition under current
19 population of 1.93%, a Hispanic voting-age population 9.09%,
22     Proposed RD 66 contains 108,734, the equal-population
23 target, and is therefore compliant with the "one person, one
24 vote" principle. Several districts shifted due to population
25 issues, and thus proposed RD 66 contains portions of 3 current
1 representative districts. Proposed RD 66 is located in McHenry
2 and Kane counties. Most of its population include  current RD 64
3 (67.52%) current RD 49 (30.18%), and a small portion  of current
5     Proposed RD 66 includes all of the communities of Gilberts,
6 Sleepy Hollow, and West Dundee, and portions of the communities
7 of Lakewood, Crystal Lake, Huntley, Lake of the Hills,
8 Algonquin, Carpentersville, Elgin and East Dundee.  Local
9 residents are largely middle to upper middle class and live in
10 similar housing stock throughout the district.  As the
11 population grows, interests of these communities overlap.
12     The McHenry and Kane County communities of proposed RD 66
13 share many of the same characteristics and use many of the same
14 resources.  Randall Road links these communities together.  This
15 road is a major north and south thoroughfare in the district
16 and gives residents access to many local businesses, shopping
17 centers, restaurants, hospitals, and churches.  Proposed RD 66
18 residents have an interest in this vital roadway.
19     In addition to being connected to local resources, Randall
20 Road also allows residents to access I-90, which provides
21 residents the ability to go east to Chicago or west to DeKalb,
22 home of Northern Illinois University, which has a large
23 population of commuter students.  Both Randall Road and I-90
24 provide the residents with easy access to the Big Timber
25 Shopping Center and Elgin Metra Lines, which allow residents to
26 reach employment and entertainment opportunities in downtown
2     Socioeconomically, proposed RD 66 is very homogeneous.
3 Proposed RD 66 consists of middle to upper middle income
4 families who live in single family homes and have a median
5 income level of $44,000 to $148,000, with an average income of
6 $68,654 per year.  Many residents of proposed RD 66 work in
7 nearby suburban communities and rely less on public
8 transportation than the communities further south and east.
9     As with many suburban communities, the communities in
10 proposed RD 66 form a community of interest built around the
11 issues of dealing with population growth and increased traffic
12 congestion.  As more people relocate within RD 66, serious
13 consideration will be given to preparing for future growth and
14 such considerations will have an enormous impact on the
15 residents who live along the district's main roadways or rely
16 on them for quick travel.
17     Proposed RD 66 is comprised of multiple existing districts;
18 however, it maintains the core of current RD 64 and preserves
19 the incumbent-constituent relationship that has existed for
20 six years.  The partisan composition of proposed RD 66 is
21 similar to the composition as it exists under current RD 64.
8     Proposed RD 67 has 79.85% of its population from current RD
9 67. The difference in shape is due in part to population shifts
10 and a desire to keep communities of interest together. To
11 achieve greater compactness, proposed RD 67 is entirely within
12 Winnebago County, comprised mainly of Rockford Township with
13 small sections of Owen and Cherry Valley Townships.
14     The northern border of current RD 67 is moved north to
15 include most of the city of Rockford, while small populations
16 from other less populated cities and precincts to the south and
17 west that are largely agricultural with low populations are
18 removed.  Current RD 67 splits three cities (Rockford, Cherry
19 Valley, and New Milford), whereas proposed RD 67 contains only
20 Rockford and several unincorporated areas. Proposed RD 67
21 removes  Cherry Valley and New Milford which  are less urban and
22 more affluent. City government centers, residential services,
23 major roads and transportation hubs will all remain in one
24 district.
25     Proposed RD 67 contains a major section of the region's
26 transportation corridor. US 20 runs along the western border
1 and cuts through the south central area of the district.  This
2 is a bypass roadway, used to connect to Interstate 39/US 51 and
3 I-90.  The interchange from US 20 to Interstate 39/US 51 is
4 included in the district.  Alpine Road, Route 251, and Route 2
5 are also used to connect major commercial and residential areas
6 in Rockford.  The interchange of Route 20 and Route 2 is also in
7 RD 67, with Route 2 being the most direct route into downtown
8 Rockford and extends  to government centers, the old railroad
9 station, sports facilities, and to the Rockford Airport.
10 Interstate 39/US 51 is along the furthest east border and
11 contains an interchange between US 20 and Highway 39, which is
12 the gateway to southern areas of the state, and also connects
13 to I-90, which runs north into Wisconsin.  US Business 20 is
14 also known as State Street, and it is the major gateway through
15 Rockford running east to west.  It connects the residential
16 areas on the west side of the river to the government centers
17 in the center of the district and the commercial areas on the
18 east side of the district.  Route 2, or Main Street, is
19 considered a gateway to the city running north to south through
20 the district.  It connects southern industrial areas to northern
21 residential areas.  State Route 251 runs through the center of
22 the district and connects Rockford to municipalities in the
23 north.
24     Proposed RD 67 is entirely within the Rock Watershed. Rock
25 River runs vertically through the center of proposed RD 67 and
26 then connects to the top eastern border of the district.  Keith
1 Creek runs horizontally through the center of proposed RD 67
2 from the Rock River to the east edge of the district.
3     Proposed RD 67 contains mostly high and medium density
4 urban areas and preserves many neighborhoods. Proposed RD 67
5 contains urban open space and general industrial areas in the
6 southern and western parts of the district.  There are
7 commercial areas in the east center of proposed RD 67. Proposed
8 RD 67 is mostly incorporated and has few agricultural areas.
9 Proposed RD 67 keeps the city of Rockford together and removes
10 unincorporated, agricultural areas on the outer edge of current
11 RD 67. Along the western and southwestern edge of proposed RD
12 67, some forest, wetlands and fields remain.
13     Proposed RD 67 contains the following landmarks, services,
14 and cultural centers: Rockford Airport, Rockford City Hall,
15 Rockford Police Headquarters, Rockford Mass Transit District
16 main bus station, Winnebago County Court House, Winnebago
17 County Jail, State of Illinois Building, Swedish American
18 Hospital, Rockford Memorial Hospital, Rockford Main Post
19 Office, Rockford Park District Headquarters, Rockford Sanitary
20 District Headquarters, Rockford Board of Education
21 Headquarters, Burpee Museum and Discovery Center, Rockford Art
22 Museum and MetroCentre stadium/arena.  These are all important
23 landmarks, government offices and destinations within the city
24 of Rockford and therefore, are maintained in one district.
25     Proposed RD 67 preserves 18 of the 20 neighborhood groups
26 within Rockford: Ellis Heights Weed and Seed, Northwest
1 Community Center, Cunningham St. Block Club, Riverview
2 Neighborhood Association, Concord Commons, Orchid 3rd College
3 and Union, South Sixth Street Neighborhood Organization, 7th
4 Ward Now, Jassy Neighborhood Watch, Forest Avenue Neighborhood
5 Group, River District Association, Churchill Grove
6 Neighborhood Association, Signal Hill Neighborhood
7 Association, North End Square Neighborhood Association,
8 Rolling Green Neighborhood Association, Hilltop Neighborhood
9 Watch, Oaks Neighborhood Association, and Midtown District.
10 Two neighborhood groups are split: Sinnissippi Park and
11 Edgewater Neighborhood Association.  In an article published in
12 the February 13, 2011 Rockford Register Star entitled "Chuck
13 Sweeney:  Neighborhood Groups a Valuable Tool for Residents,"
14 Sweeney states:
15     The 10th Ward has seven neighborhood groups. I don't know
16 how many similar associations are active throughout the city,
17 but the more groups like Alpine Ridge we have, the better for
18 the democratic process. Homeowners, residents and business
19 owners need to know in advance what the city intends to do to
20 them, so we can have government by the people, not on the
21 people.
22     Neighborhood groups are important to the fabric of the city
23 of Rockford and it is important in drawing a new map to
24 preserve as many of these groups within a district as possible
25 to enable better representation.
26     Proposed RD 67 generally has a median household income of
1 $45,000. Although the central Rockford urban area has several
2 areas where the figure falls below $20,000 and other sections
3 reach above $60,000, this average is well below the median
4 income of surrounding, more affluent districts that include
5 towns outside of Rockford. Proposed RD 67 preserves those with
6 a moderate median income as a community of interest.
7     The boundaries of proposed RD 67 maintain the core of
8 current RD 67 and allow the incumbent-constituent relationship
9 that has developed over the last decade to be preserved. The
10 partisan composition in favor of the incumbent party increases
11 slightly when compared to the composition of current RD 67.
12     Proposed RD 67 keeps the African American population in
13 Rockford together as a community of interest. Under proposed RD
14 67, the African American voting-age population is 24.25%, the
15 Hispanic voting-age population is 15.27%, and the Asian
16 voting-age population is 2.35%.
17     The three key differences between proposed RD 67 and
18 current RD 67 are:  proposed RD 67 extends further north to take
19 in more of the city of Rockford, removes agricultural areas on
20 the southwest and southeast borders of the district, and
21 removes the towns of New Milford and Cherry Valley.  These
22 changes establish the target population, preserve the downtown
23 Rockford area its cultural centers, and existing neighborhood
24 organizations, and keep most of proposed RD 67 within the city
25 of Rockford.
9     Proposed RD 68 includes 63.60% of the core of current RD
10 68.  Proposed RD 68 makes the district more compact, while
11 respecting  the urban and rural communities of interest in and
12 around the proposed district. There are four key differences
13 between proposed RD 68 and current RD 68. Proposed RD 68: (1)
14 removes the majority of the low populated, agricultural land
15 and forest/marsh area in the north and northwest; (2) removes
16 Shirland, Rockton and Roscoe Townships in the north; (3) adds
17 more of the city of Rockford in the southern area; and (4)
18 removes an area from Owen Township down to Auburn Street in
19 Rockford Township, which was incorporated into proposed RD 67.
20 Proposed RD 68 maintains equal population, attempts to follow
21 township lines, connects neighborhoods with similar economic
22 interest, keeps the more suburban areas surrounding Rockford
23 together, and maintains Machesney Park and the majority of
24 Loves Park.
25     Proposed RD 68 is now entirely within Winnebago County,
26 reduces the more rural areas of the north and northwest, and
1 keeps more of the Rockford metro area together. Proposed RD 68
2 is mostly incorporated, and drawn to take in the more suburban
3 and rural areas of Rockford, which include small towns to the
4 north of Rockford. To accomplish this, two primarily
5 agricultural townships on the north are removed and a section
6 of metropolitan Rockford is added. Proposed RD 68 keeps
7 communities that lie between the Rock River and I-90 together
8 and reduces the number of townships in the district.  Proposed
9 RD 68 follows township lines along the north and west
10 boundaries of the district.
11     Proposed RD 68 includes several significant roadways used
12 for local and regional travel and commerce.  Highway 2 runs
13 vertically through Owen Township, which connects the district
14 to the city of Rockford downtown area and the Rockford Airport.
15 Highway 251 and I-90 run vertically through Harlem Township and
16 I-90 forms portions of the eastern border of proposed RD 68. US
17 Business 20 runs horizontally through the southern part of
18 proposed RD 68 and connects the district to commercial areas.
19 Highway 70 leads from the west into the City of Rockford.
20 Proposed RD 68 maintains a long section of commercial areas
21 along US Business 20 including the interchange where US
22 Business 20 and I-90 meet. There is a commercial area also near
23 Cherryvale Mall, in the southeast area of the district, which
24 is preserved.
25     Proposed RD 68 keeps the following districts and landmarks
26 together: Rockford College, Rock Valley Community College,
1 Rockford School of Medicine, Cherryvale Mall, Rock Cut State
2 Park, Atwood Forest Preserve, Rockford Speedway, Magic Waters,
3 Forest Hills Country Club and the Rockford Country Club.
4 Proposed RD 68 also includes the 7th Street Commercial District
5 and keeps the following neighborhoods together: North Highland
6 Square, Calvin Park Boulevard, Palmwood Neighborhood, Alpine
7 Ridge, Parkland Homeowners Association and the Rock Cut Area
8 Homeowners Association.
9     Proposed RD 68 has a median income level between $45,000
10 and $80,000.  Although the income levels vary throughout
11 proposed RD 68, they are generally higher levels than the other
12 urban areas of Rockford included in proposed RD 67.  The area of
13 Rockford that was in current RD 67 but is now in proposed RD 68
14 is more similar in income to the communities within current RD
15 68, which is why they are included in proposed RD 68.
16     The partisan composition of proposed RD 68 is nearly
17 identical to the current partisan composition under current RD
19     Within Proposed RD 68, the Hispanic voting-age population
20 is 5.76%, the African American voting-age population is 4.71%,
21 and the Asian voting-age population is 2.69%.
2     Proposed RD 69 includes a population of 68.37% of current
3 RD 69 and portions of current RDs 67, 68, and 89.  Proposed RD
4 69 is different in shape from current RD 69 due, in part, to
5 population shifts, the need to reduce the total population of
6 the district by 14,899, and  an effort to keep municipalities
7 and communities of interest intact. Proposed RD 69 includes
8 portions of Boone and Winebago counties, and  removes current RD
9 69's portion of  DeKalb County, while keeping communities of
10 interest together in the northwest by extending the district
11 border to the boundary of current RD 68.
12     Proposed RD 69 removes a large portion of suburban Rockford
13 that stretches from the Rock River to Perryville and the towns
14 of Kirkland, Kingston and Genoa in DeKalb County. Proposed RD
15 69's borders south of Rockford extend west to the Rockford
16 Township line to take in the community of New Milford. A
17 section of current RD 68 is added to the northwest portion of
18 proposed RD 69 to keep a larger segment of the municipalities
19 of Roscoe and South Beloit intact. Proposed RD 69 includes
20 Rockton, which is socioeconomically and demographically
21 similar to Roscoe and South Beloit. The northwestern boundary
22 of proposed RD 69 is identical to the boundary of current 68 -
23 this boundary follows the Shirland Township line and the Sugar
24 River, and is the boundary for Winnebago County Board District
25 2.
26     Most of proposed RD 69 is in the $44,000 to $99,000 median
1 annual income range, with some variations in the south central
2 part of the district and near South Beloit.  The median annual
3 income is fairly consistent throughout proposed RD 69.
4     Proposed RD 69 contains a partisan composition that is
8 population, 9.03% Hispanic voting-age population, and 1.93%
18     Residents of proposed RD 70 include 65.29% of current RD 70
19 and portions of current RDs 49, 50, and 69.  In order to adjust
20 for a population gain in current RD 70, proposed RD 70 is
21 smaller in overall size and shifts east to accommodate
22 neighboring districts to the west that need population.
23 Proposed RD 70 lies within the counties of Boone, DeKalb, and
24 Kane.  The borders for proposed RD 70 generally follow major
25 roadways or county and township boundaries.  Proposed RD 70
1 follows the western DeKalb County border from Malta Township to
2 the Boone/DeKalb County boundary.  The northern border of
3 proposed RD 70 follows Flora Township line before following
4 township lines to take in Bonus and Spring Townships in Boone
5 County.
6     The eastern border of proposed RD 70 follows the Genoa
7 Township border in DeKalb County then heads east into Hampshire
8 Township along major roadways then follows the border of
9 Burlington Township in Kane County, cutting out a small corner
10 of the township so the outskirts of the town of North Plato can
11 be included in the same adjacent proposed district as the rest
12 of the town.  The border for proposed RD 70 continues along the
13 outside of Campton Township until reaching Plato Road. At this
14 point, the border turns east and to the south to the Elgin
15 Township border along a railroad line.  The border then turns
16 west through  Campton Hills along Illinois Route 64 back to  the
17 Virgil Township border, with some variations to account for the
18 population needs of the district.
19     The border for the southern end of proposed RD 70 follows
20 the outside boundaries of Kaneville, Big Rock, Squaw Grove and
21 Pierce Townships.  These townships are all completely intact
22 with the exception of Squaw Grove, which does not include the
23 King Nursery tree farm and some of the outskirts of the village
24 of Franks.  Proposed RD 70's border then follows major roadways
25 through DeKalb, including Illinois Routes 23 and 38. The border
26 then follows Illinois Route 38 west to the Dekalb County
1 border. This provides for Northern Illinois University's
2 campus to be wholly within proposed RD 70.
3     Almost all municipalities within proposed RD 70 are kept
4 intact.  The communities of DeKalb and Campton Hills are  split
5 along major roads to achieve equal population.  Sugar Grove and
6 Big Rock in southern Kane County straddle the boundary of Big
7 Rock Township and are split along the township borderline to
8 keep the township intact.
9     Current RD 70 is split between four different watersheds,
10 while proposed RD 70 is only within two watersheds, Kishwaukee
11 and Fox.  Rivers and other waterways are an important
12 characteristic of proposed RD 70.  Proposed RD 70 expands north
13 to take in significantly more of the South Branch Kishwaukee
14 River and expands east into central Kane County to include
15 Ferson Creek and into the southwestern corner of Kane County to
16 take in large parts of Welch, Big Rock and Little Rock creeks.
17 The areas with higher concentrations of population are all near
18 waterways in proposed RD 70.  Current RD 70 contains fewer
19 waterways and more open farmland.  The small-to-medium sized
20 towns along the rivers and creeks in proposed RD 70 make up a
21 community of interest because of the major issues these towns
22 share over water pollution and resource management.  Proposed RD
23 70 keeps this community of interest intact and allows it to
24 elect representatives that will focus on these issues and
25 concerns.
26     Proposed RD 70 is also an overwhelmingly agricultural
1 district.  It is essentially one developed area, a college town,
2 surrounded by farmland and farm towns.  The main economic
3 drivers for the area are education, health care, distribution,
4 retail, some small-level manufacturing, and agriculture.
5 Northern Illinois University has a student population of over
6 23,000 and is a huge part of the area's economy.  Keeping the
7 Northern Illinois University campus intact and part of one
8 district, as well as including Kishwaukee College in proposed
9 RD 70, preserves the campus town community of interest, where
10 issues like higher education funding are a top priority.
11     Proposed RD 70 contains most of the same major roads as
12 current RD 70.  These roads, including Routes 64, 23, 38, 72 and
13 30, connect the towns in proposed RD 70.  Interstate 88 is an
14 important economic resource for proposed RD 70, and the retail
15 establishments along the interstate provide tax revenues for
16 DeKalb County.  The easy drive to the Chicago metro area along
17 Interstate 88 has made DeKalb a distribution center for major
18 national companies like Target and 3M.
19     Current RD 70 is relatively homogeneous in terms of median
20 income levels and becomes even more so under proposed RD 70.
21 Current RD 70 is made up of lower middle income to middle
22 income households, with a lower-middle income area existing
23 within the city of DeKalb.  Proposed RD 70 retains the lower
24 income area within DeKalb but consolidates more of the middle
25 income households by losing much of the lower-middle income
26 areas in rural DeKalb County and all of Ogle County and gaining
1 more middle income households in portions of Kane County.
2     The boundaries of proposed RD 70 retain the core of current
3 RD 70 preserving the incumbent-constituent relationship that
4 has existed over the last nine years. Proposed RD 70 has a
5 partisan composition that is very similar to the current
18     Proposed RD 71 includes 55.58% of current RD 71.  The
19 changes are the addition of population in Whiteside County, and
20 the removal of portions of Henry and Carroll Counties and urban
21 Rock Island County from current RD 71.
22     As with current RD 71, proposed RD 71 splits four counties:
23 Carroll, Henry, Rock Island and Whiteside.  The splits occur
24 along boundaries to keep townships or precincts intact.  The
25 Carroll County border is along the Washington Township and
1 Savanna Township lines to the east, as well as York Township to
2 the east and south.  The Henry County border is based upon the
3 Colona Township boundary and Hanna Township Precinct 1.  The
4 Rock Island County border is based upon the Rural Township
5 boundary to the west, the Rock River, and several major
6 roadways, namely Interstate 74 and the Avenue of the Cities.
7 The boundaries in Rock Island County include natural borders
8 such as the Rock River, easily recognizable roadways, ethnic
9 and socioeconomic trends, and municipal/government districts,
10 such as city lines.  The Whiteside County border is based on
11 township borders.  The northern three townships of Whiteside
12 County are not contained in proposed RD 71 in order to achieve
13 proportional representation.
14     Proposed RD 71 is comprised of the entire communities of
15 Albany, Carbon Cliff, Cleveland, Coal Valley, Colona, Cordova,
16 Deer Grove, Erie, Fulton, Hampton, Hillsdale, Lyndon,
17 Morrison, Port Byron, Prophetstown, Rapids City, Rock Falls,
18 Savanna, Sterling, Tampico, and Thomson.  While these
19 communities are individually small in population, collectively
20 they represent a large piece of proposed RD 71.  Small
21 communities like these, located along the Mississippi River and
22 amongst vast tracts of farmland, are common in Northwestern
23 Illinois, forming a community of interest and common identity
24 which have been made more pronounced with the loss of urban
25 areas in proposed RD 71.
26     The communities of Moline, East Moline and Silvis are
1 split.  Moline and East Moline are split at the Avenue of the
2 Cities (north border), a major thoroughfare, and Interstate 74
3 and 158th Street (west border).
4     Proposed RD 71 contains portions of the following
5 townships: Blackhawk, South Moline, Hampton, Hanna, and York.
6 The largely rural southeastern portion of Blackhawk Township is
7 in proposed RD 71, while the more populated portion of the
8 township is in proposed RD 72, boundaries that reflect the
9 borders of the cities of Milan and Rock Island.  The north
10 border of the Blackhawk Township portion is the Rock River.  The
11 proposed RD 72 portion of Coal Valley Township contains four
12 uninhabited census blocks to keep the Rock River as a natural
13 border between proposed RD 71 and proposed RD 72.
14     Proposed RD 71 contains all but the southwestern portion of
15 Hampton Township, which keeps more of the city of East Moline
16 in proposed RD 72 while keeping the non-East Moline portion of
17 the township in proposed RD 71, as was done in current RD 71.
18     Proposed RD 71 takes one of the two precincts in Hanna
19 Township in Henry County which keeps a precinct intact and the
20 municipality of Cleveland intact.  Colona makes the most sense
21 of the Henry County communities to be in a district with the
22 communities of Rock Island County nearer the Quad Cities.
23 Colona residents are within the block of municipalities in the
24 area and are more likely to share common interests with Rock
25 Island County.
26     The southern and western portions of York Township,
1 following from north to south along the logical boundary of
2 Fairhaven Road, from west to east along the logical boundary of
3 Scenic Bluff Road, and then southwest to the Carroll/Whiteside
4 county line along the natural border of the Otter Creek River,
5 are included to take in the community of Thomson, keeping the
6 community intact and within proposed RD 71, as the city is in
8     Interstate 88 runs through the center of proposed RD 71,
9 connecting Sterling and Rock Falls with the southern part of
10 the district in Rock Island County.  Route 84 runs north/south
11 through much of the district along the Mississippi River,
12 connecting the communities of Savanna, Thomson, Fulton,
13 Albany, Cordova, Port Byron, Rapids City, Hampton and Silvis.
14 Highway 30 links Rock Falls with Fulton on the Mississippi
15 River and Interstate 74 provides a boundary in the Rock Island
16 County portion of proposed RD 71. Through this road system,
17 Quad Cities is a regional center for employment, medical care,
18 shopping, and recreation.
19     Moline's split occurs at Interstate 74, which serves as the
20 western border within the community while the Avenue of the
21 Cities is the northern border.  Proposed RD 71's northern border
22 in East Moline is also formed by the Avenue of the Cities, but
23 the western border is created by 158th Street.  North of the
24 Avenue of the Cities are the major urban areas of Moline and
25 East Moline.  In this regard, this split is logical just as it
26 was for the split that exists in South Moline Township.
1     The Mississippi River forms the western boundary for a
2 majority of proposed RD 71 and is a driving force for the local
3 economy.  Proposed RD 71's boundaries in the Quad Cities area
4 are more nuanced but based on the idea of preserving the
5 urban-centered community of interest that exists in proposed RD
6 72 and the more rural/suburban community of interest in RD 71.
7     Proposed RD 71 also maintains a strong urban/agricultural
8 mix that exists under current RD 71, although it is slightly
9 modified to protect agricultural communities of interest.
10 Decreasing the total number of residents in urban areas in
11 proposed RD 71 provides for greater representation for the
12 agricultural communities of interest that exist in the many
13 rural parts of proposed RD 71.
14     As proposed RD 71 is primarily agricultural, the district's
15 residents in general share a common interest as it pertains to
16 an economic engine, creating a community of interest.  A number
17 of testifiers at the House Redistricting Committee's hearings
18 throughout the state spoke about the need to recognize an
19 agricultural community of interest.
20     The following school districts are in proposed RD 71:
21 Riverdale CUSD 100, Riverbend CUSD 2, Sterling CUSD 5,
22 Prophetstown-Lydon-Tampico CUSD 3, West Carroll CUSD 314,
23 Morrison CUSD 6, Geneseo CUSD 228, Orion CUSD 223, Moline Unit
24 School District 40, Rock Island School District 41, Sherrard
25 CUSD 200.  The following elementary school districts are in
26 proposed RD 71: Hampton School District 29, Colona School
1 District 190, Carbon Cliff-Barstow School District 36, Rock
2 Falls Elementary School District 13, East Coloma School
3 District 12, Riverdale School District 14, Montgomery CCSD,
4 East Moline School District 7 and Silvis School District 34.  By
5 having several school districts in proposed RD 71, the district
6 and communities are connected to one another.  This sense of
7 community identity is desirable in proposed RD 71 because it is
8 comprised of smaller, more rural areas.
9     Urban areas exist in proposed RD 71, although to a lesser
10 degree than under current RD 71.  Compared to current RD 71,
11 proposed RD 71 is significantly more rural, providing the
12 agricultural community in proposed RD 71 greater strength in
13 advocating for agriculture issues.
14     By taking in the additional portions of Whiteside County,
15 proposed RD 71 unites the lower-middle income residents of
16 Sterling and Rock Falls with similar wage earners in Savanna
17 and Silvis.  The combination of areas of lower-middle income
18 residents on the east side and north side of proposed RD 71
19 allows proposed RD 71 to reflect similar income patterns as
21     Proposed RD 71 maintains the majority of the core of
22 current RD 71. The partisan composition is roughly the same to
6     Proposed RD 72 includes 73.24% of current RD 72.  Proposed
7 RD 72 locates the district entirely within Rock Island County
8 to strengthen communities of interest and it utilizes existing
9 commonly recognized boundaries in order to achieve equal
10 population.  The key differences between proposed RD 72 and
11 current RD 72 include:  proposed RD 72 will now be located
12 entirely within Rock Island County; Hispanic and
13 African-American communities of interest are represented by
14 one representative; and the most rural portions of current RD
15 72 are now part of generally more rural districts.
16     The "Quad Cities" region of Illinois has an established
17 collective identity as a blue-collar community.  This region is
18 comprised of the municipalities of Rock Island, Moline and East
19 Moline.  To a large degree, what happens in one community is
20 viewed as something occurring in the other towns of the Quad
21 Cities.  In that spirit, proposed RD 72 incorporates additional
22 portions of the Quad Cities while removing rural areas whose
23 interests are not as similar.  The further one gets from the
24 Quad Cities, the less connected they become to the Quad Cities.
25     Within the Quad Cities region there are also other unique
1 identities that connect communities together, including shared
2 professions and socioeconomic status, as well as the common
3 interest shared by individuals residing in an urban area that
4 is closely tied with the Mississippi River. Proposed RD 72 is
5 comprised of the cities of Andalusia, Coyne Center, East
6 Moline, Milan, Moline, Oak Grove, Rock Island, and Silvis.  It
7 contains a mixture of urban and agricultural areas.  In the Quad
8 Cities area, the municipalities of Rock Island, Moline, East
9 Moline, Silvis and Milan are more densely populated, while
10 outlying areas are more rural in nature.  Proposed RD 72 removes
11 some of the rural areas, which were in the southern end of
12 current RD 72 in favor of additional urban areas in Moline,
13 East Moline and Silvis.  These changes make proposed RD 72 more
14 uniform.
15     Proposed RD 72 uses township divisions and natural
16 boundaries.  Proposed RD 72 contains the following townships in
17 their entirety: Andalusia, Bowling, Buffalo Prairie, Drury,
18 Edgington, Moline, Rock Island and South Rock Island.  Drury,
19 Buffalo Prairie, Andalusia, Moline, South Rock Island and Rock
20 Island townships all share a common characteristic of bordering
21 the Mississippi River, the major economic engine for the entire
22 region.
23     Four townships are split under proposed RD 72: Blackhawk,
24 Coal Valley, South Moline, and Hampton.  The western portion of
25 Blackhawk Township is in proposed RD 72 and a small portion of
26 the eastern portion is in proposed RD 71.  This division occurs
1 along 10th Avenue E/Knoxville Road, a well-travelled
2 thoroughfare, along the Rock River and the municipal boundaries
3 of the community of Milan.  This split puts the more rural areas
4 of Blackhawk Township in proposed RD 71 and keeps the
5 municipality of Milan in proposed RD 72, as it is in current RD
6 72.  Proposed RD 72 in Coal Valley Township, which is split by a
7 river, contains four uninhabited census blocks to keep the Rock
8 River as a natural border between proposed RD 72 and proposed
9 RD 71.  Proposed RD 72 contains the area of Moline Township
10 north of the Avenue of the Cities, a major local thoroughfare
11 and logical divider, and west of I-74, using major roadways as
12 a division within the township.  South Moline Township north of
13 the Avenue of the Cities is in proposed RD 72; South Moline
14 Township south of the Avenue of the Cities is in proposed RD
15 71.  Proposed RD 72 contains the southwestern portion of Hampton
16 Township in order to keep more of the city of East Moline in
17 one district.  Parts of the city of Silvis west of Samuelson
18 Drive and north of 5th Avenue account for the other portion of
19 Hampton Township in proposed RD 72 to achieve equal population.
20     Moline's split occurs at I-74, which serves as the eastern
21 border within the community and the Avenue of the Cities as the
22 southern border.  Proposed RD 72's southern border in East
23 Moline is formed by the Avenue of the Cities and the eastern
24 border is created by 158th Street.  North of the Avenue of the
25 Cities is the major urban area of Moline and East Moline.  Since
26 Moline and East Moline are more urban and Hispanic, they are
1 included in proposed RD 72 with other urban and Hispanic areas.
2     Parts of Silvis west of Samuelson Drive and north of 5th
3 Avenue are contained within proposed RD 72.  This division
4 exists to keep the Hispanic population as a community of
5 interest in the same district with other Hispanics, mainly in
6 East Moline and Moline.  By moving RD 72's boundaries east
7 within the Quad Cities, the proposed district keeps together a
8 community of interest of low income residents that exist in the
9 mainly urban areas of Rock Island, East Moline, Moline and
10 Silvis, which is split along a major roadway and census blocks
11 to achieve equal population. This community of interest, which
12 includes dense populations of African Americans and Hispanic
13 residents, shares a socioeconomic status and housing stock.
14 They also have commonalities related to recreational
15 activities, shopping and travel activities and in the fact that
16 they inhabit an urban area of the Mississippi River.
17     An example of the different connections between Quad Cities
18 residents can be seen in Silvis.  The western portion of the
19 community has a larger Hispanic population than the eastern
20 portion.  For this reason, proposed RD 72 was drawn to include
21 the western precincts of Silvis in proposed RD 72, where many
22 other Hispanics will be represented.  While the community of
23 Silvis is split, the dividing line is drawn to keep the western
24 portion of the town that has a greater Hispanic population
25 within proposed RD 72, providing a stronger community of
26 interest.  Proposed RD 72 also preserves the Hispanic community
1 of interest that exists in Rock Island, Moline and East Moline.
2     Proposed RD 72 keeps together Rock Island's African
3 American populations and joins together much of the region's
4 Hispanic population into one district, rather than two as under
5 current RD 72.  The boundaries of proposed RD 72 keep African
6 Americans together as a community of interest, specifically in
7 western Rock Island, western Moline, and southern Hampton
9     Proposed RD 72 has some major transportation avenues.
10 Interstates 280 and 74 run through the northern part of
11 proposed RD 72, and I-74 serves as a natural border with
12 proposed RD 71 at a small portion on the east within the city
13 of Moline.  The close proximity of these thoroughfares, along
14 with the addition of the Burlington Northern Railroad running
15 though the district's northern end, connecting Rock Island,
16 Moline and East Moline, create a major economic center and
17 engine for the region.
18     The communities in proposed RD 72 share a lot of the same
19 services and values and interact with each other on a daily
20 basis, which is demonstrated by the street system's layout.  For
21 example, 12th Avenue in Rock Island runs through Moline and
22 East Moline and into Silvis, eventually becoming 30th Avenue.
23 It is this street grid that has allowed a lot of movement of
24 people from one community to the next as they go to work, shop
25 or visit family and friends.  Many people also have to pass
26 through another community to reach one of the bridges that
1 leads to Iowa, another common destination for work and
2 recreation.
3     Proposed RD 72 lies within the Peoria Catholic Diocese, the
4 309 area code, and the Davenport-Rock Island-Moline media
5 market-all distinctions carried over from current RD 72.  In
6 addition, proposed RD 72 is entirely served by IDOT District 2,
7 whereas current RD 72 is split between two IDOT districts.  The
8 communities of Rock Island, Milan, Moline and East Moline are
9 served by the MetroLink bus service.  Proposed RD 72 contains
10 one regional airport authority in Moline, is represented by the
11 Tri-City Building Trades, operates on the Bi-State Regional
12 Commission and is covered by the Moline office of the
13 Department of Employment Security.  All of these
14 characteristics are carried over from current RD 72.  Proposed
15 RD 72 will be entirely in the Regional Office of Education Area
16 II.  Current RD 72 is divided between two ROE areas.
17     The areas of the Quad Cities region with the lowest median
18 income (below $44,205) are almost exclusively located within
19 proposed RD 72, and the entire proposed RD 72 can be described
20 as predominately middle-income.
21     Proposed RD 72 maintains a substantial majority of the
22 population in current RD 72 to maintain incumbent-constituent
23 relationships that have developed over four election cycles.
24 The partisan composition is similar to the current composition
26     Proposed RD 72 includes an African American voting-age
7 compliant with  the "one person, one vote" principle.
8     Of the population in proposed RD 73, 86.35% live in  current
9 RD 73. Proposed RD 73 includes portions of Bureau, LaSalle,
10 Woodford and Peoria counties and all of Stark and Marshall
11 counties.  Many of current and proposed RD 73's borders are
12 based on county and township boundaries.  Proposed RD 73's
13 western border begins on the Peoria-Knox County border in
14 Elmwood Township and heads north, ultimately following the
15 Stark-Knox County border.  The border then extends east in
16 southern Bureau County along the Mineral Township line.  The
17 district turns north on Illinois Route 40, intersecting the
18 small community of Buda along the highway.   The border then
19 moves east along U.S. Highway 6/34, veering slightly to keep
20 the entirety of the community of Wyanet in proposed RD 73.  As
21 the border moves east, it veers south of Princeton to keep the
22 town  entirely within neighboring proposed RD 74.  The border
23 then turns south along the Princeton Township line until
24 reaching the Putnam-Bureau County line.  Proposed RD 73 moves
25 east along the Putnam-Marshall County line, then turns north,
1 east and south along township lines in LaSalle County.  Heading
2 south along the LaSalle County line, the border turns west
3 along the Woodford County line before moving south along the
4 Cazenovia and Metamora townships lines.  Proposed RD 73 then
5 heads east into the community of Roanoke to add population
6 before heading back to the Illinois River along the Woodford
7 County line.
8     Proposed RD 73's district line around Peoria loosely
9 follows Northmoor Road west and then moves south generally
10 along the Peoria city limits, before heading west along the
11 Kickapoo Township line.  Proposed RD 73 comes to a close along
12 the Kickapoo, Rosefield, and Elmwood township lines in Peoria
13 County.
14     Proposed RD 73 also recedes completely out of three
15 townships in southern Peoria County: Trivoli, Logan and
16 Limestone.  Importantly, proposed RD 73 also recedes out of the
17 Peoria County community of Bartonville, which has two
18 representatives under proposed map, as opposed to three
19 representatives as currently exists.
20     Proposed RD 73 adds all of Stark County.  The small
21 adjustment in Bureau County is to achieve equal population
22 while keeping the large community of Princeton whole in a
23 neighboring district.  The additional townships in LaSalle
24 County are added  to achieve equal population and are largely
25 rural, like much of the district.  Proposed RD 73 recedes out of
26 the community of Minonk, which is split in current RD 73.
1 Finally, in Woodford County, the district recedes out of the
2 community of Eureka completely, which is spilt in current RD
4     Current and proposed RD 73 preserves many townships in
5 their entirety, something that is important in rural areas of
6 Illinois where a number of citizens rely on township services.
7 These rural residents form a community of interest recognized
8 in current and proposed RD 73.
9     Agriculture, another community of interest, plays a large
10 role in current and proposed RD 73 and is a major economic
11 engine that impacts many residents in proposed RD 73.
12     Proposed RD 73 also has a community of interest based on
13 income that is manifested around the city of Peoria.  These
14 residents are largely white-collar professionals earning
15 upper-middle incomes who have relocated to the northern portion
16 of Peoria or into communities such as Chillicothe and Dunlap
17 because of shared interests, such as desire for a quiet
18 lifestyle, safe neighborhoods, and access to quality
19 education.
20     The Illinois River is a vital part of current and proposed
21 RD 73 and is essential to the livelihood of local residents and
22 businesses.  The river is used to transport agricultural and
23 industrial products and draws in tourists and outdoor
24 recreationists who contribute to the local economy.
25     Proposed RD 73 maintains a substantial majority of the core
26 of current RD 73 and preserves the incumbent-constituent
1 relationship that has existed over decades of the same
2 representation. The partisan composition is roughly the same to
3 the current composition under current RD 73.
16 current RD 74.  Proposed RD 74 follows township and county
17 borders as much as possible while also maintaining communities
18 of interest and socioeconomic and cultural commonalities found
19 in current RD 74. Proposed RD 74 also reflects an effort to
20 keep Mercer County intact and together with Henry County to the
21 extent possible.
22     Proposed RD 74 contains all of Mercer County, most of
23 Henry, Knox, and Bureau Counties, and the southwestern quadrant
24 of Lee County.  Mercer County, which is currently split between
25 two representative districts, is kept together in proposed RD
1 74, and Henry County, currently split between three
2 representative districts, is kept mostly intact in proposed RD
3 46.  As close as practicably possible, proposed RD 74 follows
4 township borders and major causeways to maintain
5 commonalities, create reasonably homogeneous socioeconomic
6 characteristics, and maintain agricultural communities of
7 interest found in current RD 74.
8     The southern border of proposed RD 74 follows township
9 lines to Chestnut Township, where it diverts north to Knox
10 Township.  A township split occurs between Knox and Galesburg
11 townships following Highway 74, maintaining the northern half
12 of the city of Galesburg in proposed RD 74 by proceeding down
13 primary thoroughfare of Main Street in Galesburg to the western
14 end of Galesburg Township. Galesburg is split along
15 socioeconomic lines, with the north side middle-income earners
16 ($44,000 to $68,000) and the south side lower-income earners
17 ($2,499 to $44,000).
18     Proposed RD 74 then moves north to North Henderson Township
19 where it shifts west following Mercer County and township
20 borders to the Mississippi River. Proposed RD 74 incorporates
21 Mercer County by following the Mississippi River north and
22 moving east at Eliza Township to Richland Grove Township where
23 Henry County begins. Proposed RD 74 splits a small portion of
24 Henry County between the river communities in Colona and Hamm
25 townships and the primarily agricultural communities of Henry
26 County in proposed RD 74.
1     Proposed RD 74 then follows the northern border of Henry
2 County east from Phenix Township until Greenville Township,
3 where it moves north along the Lee County line to incorporate
4 socioeconomic and agricultural communities similar to those
5 found in Mercer and Knox counties. Proposed RD 74 continues to
6 follow township borders before splitting Amboy and Sublette
7 Townships to follow Highway 52. Proposed RD 74 continues to
8 follow the Bureau County and township borders before heading
9 west to increase population by keeping Princeton mainly  whole
10 and following major transportation path U.S. Route 34 through
11 Wyanet and Concord townships.  Proposed RD 74's boundary resumes
12 following township boundary lines as it moves west and south
13 back to Salem Township.  Stark County, which is a part of
14 current RD 74, is shifted in its entirety into the adjoining
16     Proposed RD 74 preserves agricultural and small town
17 communities of interest by keeping as many townships and
18 municipalities as possible intact. Many of the municipalities
19 in current and proposed RD 74 are rural, non-densely populated
20 areas found in between the urban, more-densely populated river
21 cities of Rock Island to the northwest and Peoria to the
22 southeast. The relatively homogeneous socioeconomic and
23 population density characteristics of proposed RD 74 are
24 consistent with current RD 74.
26 current RD 74 and preserves the incumbent-constituent
1 relationship that has existed for 18 years. The partisan
2 composition is similar to the current composition under current
6 Asian American voting-age population.
15     Proposed RD 75 includes  60.55% of the  residents  current RD
16 75.  Proposed RD 75 removes portions of current RD 75 in LaSalle
17 County and all of Kankakee, Iroquois, and Livingston counties
18 in the current RD 75 and adds population in Kendall County that
19 is in current RD 50.  In doing so, proposed RD 75 becomes a more
20 compact district while preserving communities of interest and
21 achieving equal population.
22     The boundaries of proposed RD 75 mostly conform to township
23 boundaries.  The Kendall County portion of proposed RD 75
24 follows township boundaries, except in Kendall Township where
25 most of the municipality of Yorkville is kept intact in a
1 neighboring representative district.  The northern border of
2 proposed RD 75 follows the Little Rock Township line east and
3 south until Plano, where it follows Highway 34 and Needham
4 Road, Hale Road, and Schaefer Road.
5     The northeastern border of proposed RD 75 begins at the
6 northeast corner of Na-Au-Say Township in Kendall County and
7 runs south to Channahon Township, where the district extends
8 east and then travels south along a waterway off the Des
9 Plaines River and Route 6 before running along the Aux Sable
10 Township border, the Wilmington Township border in Will County,
11 Goodwin Road, through the southeast corner of Florence
12 Township, and south down the eastern border of Wesley Township.
13     The southern border of proposed RD 75 follows exclusively
14 along township boundaries.  Along the western border, proposed
15 RD 75 splits Otter Creek Township in LaSalle County, keeping
16 the municipality of Streator within proposed RD 76, as it is in
17 current RD 76.  Manlius Township is split along E. 27th Road
18 until the road hits Highway 6, at which point the border
19 extends westward, with the western portion of Manlius Township
20 in proposed RD 76.  This allows proposed RD 76 to contain the
21 developed parts of the city of Marseilles.
22     The Illinois River, a major tributary of the Mississippi
23 River, begins in proposed RD 75 in eastern Grundy County, at
24 the confluence of the Des Plaines and Kankakee rivers.  Proposed
25 RD 75 also includes the Kankakee River.
26     Proposed RD 75 moves out of more rural areas and becomes a
1 representative district that will become more suburban over the
2 next 10 years.  The area has experienced dramatic growth over
3 the past several years and this growth will likely continue.
4 The communities in proposed RD 75 face  similar issues with new
5 planned developments, sewer and water issues, and road
6 construction, just to name a few. The Channahon/Minooka area of
7 current RD 75 is currently experiencing this rapid growth.
8 Keeping many of these communities together in proposed RD 75 as
9 they continue dealing with these issues over the next decade
10 will benefit the region. Proposed RD 75 is a solidly middle
11 class district with a median income ranging from $44,000 -
12 $99,000.
14 current RD 75. The partisan composition is roughly the same as
16     Proposed RD 75 includes a 3.19% African-American
17 voting-age population, 27.63% Hispanic voting-age population,
18 and a 1.12% Asian voting-age population.
3 current RD 76.  Proposed RD 76 has few changes from current RD
4 76, keeping intact the communities of interest and
5 commonalities of the current district.  Proposed RD 76 keeps
6 townships as intact as possible and keeps the same number of
7 counties as current RD 76.  The core of proposed RD 76 remains
8 in western LaSalle County, as it is in current RD 76.  Proposed
9 RD 76 expands slightly at its northwest corner, gaining two
10 full townships and the western portion of a third township, and
11 it loses territory in its northern portion and southeast
12 portion.
13     Proposed RD 76 contains all of Putnam County and portions
14 of Bureau, LaSalle and Livingston counties.  The same counties
15 within current RD 76 are in proposed RD 76.  Proposed RD 76
16 contains all the townships of Berlin, Brace, Deer Park, Dayton,
17 Dimmick, Eagle, Eden, Fall River, Farm Ridge, Grand Rapids,
18 Granville, Hall, Hennepin, LaSalle, Leepertown, Magnolia,
19 Ophir, Ottawa, Peru, Rutland, Senachwine, Serena, South
20 Ottawa, Troy Grove, Utica, Vermillion, Wallace, Waltham, and
21 Westfield.  Portions of the townships of Mendota, Reading, Otter
22 Creek, and Manlius are in proposed RD 76.
23     The township splits occur along geographic boundaries.
24 Mendota Township is split along Highway 34, with the southern
25 portion in proposed RD 76.  Manlius Township is split along E.
26 27th Road until the road hits Highway 6, at which point the
1 border turn westward, with the western portion of Manlius
2 Township in proposed RD 76.  This allows proposed RD 76 to
3 contain the developed parts of the city of Marseilles.  Otter
4 Creek Township is split, keeping the municipality of Streator
5 within proposed RD 76, as in current RD 76.  Reading Township is
6 split, keeping Streator intact with the northern half of the
7 township in proposed RD 76.  The portion where the southern
8 border of proposed RD 76 deviates from a straight east/west
9 line is in order to ensure equal population.
10     Proposed RD 76 contains all the municipalities of
11 Arlington, Bureau Junction, Cedar Point, Cherry, Dalzell,
12 Dayton, Grand Ridge, Granville, Hennepin, Hollowayville,
13 Kangley, Ladd, LaSalle, Magnolia, Malden, Mark, McNabb, North
14 Utica, Oglesby, Ottawa, Peru, Seatonville, Spring Valley,
15 Standard, Streator, Tonica, and Troy Grove.  The municipalities
16 of Dover, Marseilles, and Mendota are split in proposed RD 76.
17 Proposed RD 76 was drawn to keep Ottawa intact and within one
18 district.  Proposed RD 76 also keeps the municipality of Dayton
19 intact, though in current RD 76 it is split.  In municipalities
20 that did not remain intact in proposed RD 76, the split occurs
21 along a natural boundary (Illinois River), a logical boundary
22 (IL 34), or keeps a split that is present in current RD 76.
23 Marseilles is split along the Illinois River, with the northern
24 portion in proposed RD 76.  The more developed part of the city
25 is kept together in proposed RD 76 so the bulk of the populace
26 remains in one district.  Mendota is split along U.S. Highway
1 34, with the southern portion in proposed RD 76.  As under
2 current RD 76, Dover is split along a township boundary in
3 proposed RD 76.
4     Proposed RD 76 preserves the agricultural communities of
5 interest by keeping as many towns and townships as possible
6 intact.  Many of the municipalities in current and proposed RD
7 76 are river communities, placed at various points along the
8 Illinois, Fox and Vermillion Rivers and thus sharing similar
9 geographic and economic characteristics.  These communities are
10 also connected by the crossroads of the region, the point at
11 which Interstates 80 and 39 meet near LaSalle, which creates an
12 economic center that remains intact in proposed RD 76.
13     Proposed RD 76 is a major water district, as is current RD
14 76.  It includes the Illinois, Fox, and Vermillion Rivers, the
15 Illinois and Michigan (I & M) Canal, and Senachwine Lake.  These
16 waterways create natural boundaries and commonalities among
17 communities in proposed RD 76.  Communities in proposed RD 76
18 rely upon these waterways for tourism dollars and commerce.  The
19 Illinois River runs east/west through the center of proposed RD
20 76, just south of I-80, from Marseilles to Putnam County as it
21 flows towards the Mississippi River.  It serves as a natural
22 boundary of the proposed RD 76 at Marseilles in Manlius
23 Township, which is why proposed RD 76 was drawn as it was.  The
24 Fox River serves as a district and township border in Serena
25 Township.  In addition to a number of water recreation
26 opportunities, the region includes other points of recreation
1 on which to rely for tourism dollars.  The tourist attractions
2 of Starved Rock State Park, Matthiessen State Park, and the
3 national historic site of Washington Park in Ottawa are
4 included in proposed RD 76.
5     Proposed RD 76 has homogeneous socioeconomic
6 characteristics. While portions of LaSalle County and Putnam
7 County have higher median household incomes, the median
8 household income in proposed RD 76 still ranges from around
9 $44,000 to about $99,000.  Overall, proposed RD 76 is
10 overwhelmingly middle class.  These socioeconomic
11 characteristics are consistent with current RD 76.
12     Proposed RD 76 maintains similar housing patterns as
13 current RD 76, with greater levels of vacant housing in western
14 Putnam County and southern Bureau County and in the
15 municipalities of Ottawa, Streator, and LaSalle.
16     Proposed RD 76 maintains the vast majority of the core of
18 relationship that has existed over two decades. The partisan
19 composition is similar to the current composition while
20 increasing slightly under current RD 76.
21     The African American voting-age population in proposed RD
22 76 is 1.06%, the Hispanic voting-age population is 7.26%, and
23 the Asian voting-age population is 0.82%.
7     Proposed RD 77 contains portions of current RDs 7, 46, 65,
8 66, 77, and 78.  Proposed RD 77 continues to keep O'Hare
9 Airport, which occupies a considerable geographic footprint
10 and impacts the daily lives of local residents in the district
11 and many of the surrounding areas contained in current RD 77.
12 Proposed RD 77 shifts west as districts to the east needed to
13 pick up population; it also shifts south so that the majority
14 of the municipalities of Melrose Park and Northlake, and all of
15 Stone Park, are each within one district.  Many of those
16 communities that are in current RD 77 are also maintained
17 within one district, whether that is proposed RD 77 or a
18 proposed neighboring district.  Proposed RD 77 also increases
19 the Hispanic voting-age population to 50.64% from current RD 77
21     The communities within proposed RD 77 are tied economically
22 to O'Hare Airport and the extensive network of freight train
23 lines and roadways that run through the area, such as
24 Interstate Highways 90, 290 and 294. Businesses that have
25 developed around O'Hare rely on these different methods of
26 transportation to move their goods, creating a commercial
1 community of interest that is preserved by proposed RD 77.
2     The border of proposed RD 77 moved west to the eastern
3 border of O'Hare Airport due in part to the need for proposed
4 districts to the east to increase population.  The Village of
5 Schiller Park, which is in current RD 77, is not in proposed RD
6 77; instead it is entirely within proposed RD 20.  Similarly,
7 the majority of the Village of Rosemont is removed, allowing it
8 to be nearly all within proposed RD 20.  A small part of
9 Rosemont, at the northeast corner of O'Hare that is in current
10 RD 65, is added instead to proposed RD 77 because it is tied
11 closely to O'Hare and has a sizable Hispanic population.
12     South of the River Road border is the eastern section of
13 current RD 77. Due to the need of proposed districts coming
14 from the east to gain population, the eastern most portion of
15 current RD 77 could not be included in proposed RD 77.  Instead,
16 Elmwood Park and River Forest are almost completely within the
17 borders of proposed RD 78.  Effort was taken to maintain the
18 residential areas of each of these communities wholly within
19 one representative district, as they are  in current RD 77.
20     The southern border of proposed RD 77 deviates from current
21 RD 77 and encompasses a pocket of Hispanic residents in Maywood
22 as well as the vast majority of Melrose Park.  Under proposed RD
23 77, the entire residential area of Melrose Park is within the
24 district, with only a small section excluded. The Village of
25 Stone Park is entirely within proposed RD 77.  Both Melrose Park
26 and Stone Park have sizeable Hispanic populations that form a
1 community of interest with those in the area of Maywood
2 incorporated into proposed RD 77.
3     Currently, the City of Northlake is divided between three
4 representative districts, including current RD 77. All of the
5 residential areas of Northlake are included in proposed RD 77.
6 The pressure from districts to the east to add residents to
7 achieve equal population required the Village of Franklin Park
8 to be divided between proposed RDs 77, 78 and, to a lesser
9 extent, 20.
10     Proposed RD 77 allows Elmhurst to be almost entirely within
11 proposed RD 47. Proposed RD 77 contains a majority of the
12 Village of Addison, which has a significant concentration of
13 Hispanic residents. Proposed RD 7 includes the entirety of
14 Bensenville and a section of Wood Dale that include the
15 intersection of Route 83 and Irving Park Road and a Hispanic
16 concentration.
17     From a socioeconomic perspective, the district is fairly
18 homogeneous, with the median annual income in most of the
19 district between $44,000 and $68,000.  Smaller pockets in the
20 north of the district have an income range of $68,000 to
21 $98,000 and those in the southeast report median incomes less
22 than $44,000. Proposed RD 77 preserves a "working class"
24     At the House redistricting hearing held in Springfield on
25 April 25, 2011, Yesenia Sanchez of PASO: West Suburban Action
26 Project, testified that the western suburbs need a House
1 district to represent the substantial Hispanic community of
2 interest found across Addison, Franklin Park, Maywood, Melrose
3 Park, Northlake, and Stone Park, that is interested in
4 addressing issues of language barriers, immigration, and
5 access to government services.  Similarly, at the same hearing
6 Martin Torres of the Latino Policy Forum explained that
7 Franklin Park could be the nucleus around which a west suburban
8 majority Hispanic district could be built. Such a district
9 would also connect Latinos living in municipalities within
10 proposed RD 77 with those living in unincorporated areas who
11 find themselves less represented by local government.
12     The partisan advantage in proposed RD 77 favors Democrats.
13     Proposed RD 77 contains a 3.68% African American voting-age
14 population, 50.62% Hispanic voting-age population, and 3.80%
24     Of population in the proposed RD 78, 54.87% reside in
25 current RD 78.  Proposed RD 78 shifts northwest to add
1 population, while maintaining the cores of multiple cities that
2 are similar.
3     Like current RD 78, proposed RD 78 contains the western
4 portion of the Austin neighborhood in Chicago and the majority
5 of Oak Park in suburban Cook County, with a border in this area
6 still following the Milwaukee railroad on the north, and
7 borders of  North Central  Avenue to the east, and Harlem Avenue
8 to the west.  West of Harlem Avenue, proposed RD 78 shifts north
9 and northwest to encompass the majority of three suburban
10 communities, gain population, and preserve communities of
11 interest within a single district.  Current RD 78 contains
12 portions of six different municipalities west of Harlem Avenue.
13 In contrast, proposed RD 78 includes the majority of only three
14 municipalities to the west of Harlem Avenue, splitting fewer
15 towns than current RD 78.
16     Proposed RD 78 contains the majority of four suburban
17 municipalities, including Elmwood Park, Franklin Park, Oak
18 Park, and River Grove in Cook County, and portions of City of
19 Chicago Wards 29, 36, and 37. Current RD 78 includes portions
20 of those wards and the 28th Ward, which is removed for
21 population purposes and to preserve a community of interest.
22 Proposed RD 78 contains a small commercial portion of Melrose
23 Park, but there are no residents in this area.  Like current RD
24 78, proposed RD 78 contains portions of Leyden and Oak Park
25 townships; however, unlike current RD 78, proposed RD 78
26 contains no portion of River Forest Township and only the
1 commercial portion of Melrose Park in Proviso Township. Thus,
2 proposed RD 78 splits fewer townships than current RD 78.
3     The suburban communities of Elmwood Park, Franklin Park,
4 and River Grove are contiguous and more similar demographically
5 to each other than to the western suburbs in current RD 78.
6 Proposed RD 78 has almost all of Elmwood Park and River Grove,
7 but divides Franklin Park along socioeconomic lines.  A
8 significant portion of the wealthiest parts of Franklin Park,
9 with a median income between $65,000 and $75,000, is kept in
10 proposed RD 78, as this area is more economically similar to
11 parts of Oak Park and north Austin in Chicago.  Portions of
12 Franklin Park not in proposed RD 78 have higher populations of
13 Hispanic residents than areas in proposed RD 78, keeping
14 proposed RD 78 more similar throughout and keeping larger
15 Hispanic populations together in adjacent districts.  Under
16 proposed RD 78, Oak Park is split with proposed RD 8.  In the
17 current map, Oak Park is split among three representative
18 districts.
19     In its southeastern corner, proposed RD 78 recedes from
20 Chicago, removing portions of the Austin neighborhood that have
21 lower median incomes than most of the rest of the district.
22 Proposed RD 78 removes portions of Chicago with median incomes
23 below $40,000, keeping a majority of the Austin neighborhood
24 with a median income of $40,000 to $65,000.  The western part of
25 proposed RD 78 has a similar median income, with small portions
26 exceeding $65,000.  Oak Park and parts of Elmwood Park are
1 wealthier communities with a median income exceeding $75,000 in
2 many areas.
3     Proposed RD 78 has several major regional transportation
4 corridors.  North-south roadways within proposed RD 78 include
5 1st Avenue, Austin Avenue, Harlem Avenue/Route 43, and Oak Park
6 Avenue.  East-west roadways include Belmont Avenue, Chicago
7 Avenue, Grand Avenue, Fullerton Avenue, Lake Street and North
8 Avenue/Route 64.  Metra commuter rail serves proposed RD 78 on
9 the following lines: Milwaukee District West Line, stopping at
10 Galewood, Mars, Mont Clare, Elmwood Park, River Grove and
11 Franklin Park; North Central Line, stopping at River Grove; and
12 the Union Pacific West Line, stopping at Oak Park.
13 Additionally, the CTA Green Line operates through the southern
14 portion of proposed RD 78, with stops between Austin Avenue and
15 the end of the line at Harlem Avenue. These transportation
16 routes are major landmarks in proposed RD 78 and major commuter
17 routes.
18     Half of the population within proposed RD 78 resides within
19 current RD 78. The partisan composition of the incumbent party
20 slightly decreases compared to the composition under current RD
8     Current RD 79 encompasses a diverse range of communities,
9 from the communities of Monee and University Park in the north
10 to Bradley and Kankakee further south, as well as the
11 agricultural areas of Iroquois County.  Proposed RD 79 includes
12 62.56% of current RD 79.   Proposed RD 79 loses much of the areas
13 tied to Chicago and its suburbs, and instead centers around and
14 takes in nearly all of the adjoined municipalities of Kankakee,
15 Bradley, and Bourbonnais, as well as many nearby small towns
16 that are tied to those three municipalities economically,
17 commercially, and through retail and health services.
18     Proposed RD 79 is also mostly within Kankakee County.  The
19 majority of the boundaries of proposed RD 79 follow township
20 lines, but where townships have been divided, the boundary
21 lines follow local roads or a natural waterway. It contains 14
22 of the 17 townships in Kankakee County (12 in their entirety).
23 Current RD 79 contains only 10 full townships and 2 partial
24 townships within Kankakee County.  Proposed RD 79 also contains
25 sections of two Will County townships in and around Peotone on
26 the border of Will and Kankakee counties; in contrast to
1 current RD 79, which has full or partial sections of seven Will
2 County townships and four full Iroquois County townships.  With
3 these changes, proposed RD 79 is more rural and centered on
4 Kankakee County in terms of population, jobs, and services than
5 the current RD 79.
6     Much of the northern portion of current RD 79 is lost to
7 the overall push southward of proposed representative
8 districts on Chicago's south side and the south suburbs and
9 their need to gain residents to achieve equal population.  The
10 northern areas of proposed RD 79 that were lost to this
11 southward expansion from Chicago and south suburbs are more
12 tied economically and socially to the suburban communities to
13 the north than they are to the city of Kankakee.
14     The three municipalities of Kankakee, Bradley, and
15 Bourbonnais, are intertwined with each other in most aspects,
16 but are divided between current RD 79 and current RD 75.  These
17 three cities share common borders and essentially run together,
18 which is a rarity in downstate Illinois.  Except for a few
19 streets in northern Burbonnais, proposed RD 79 keeps these
20 municipalities within one representative district, as the
21 three municipalities clustered together are the economic and
22 social engine for much of Kankakee County.
23     The Grundy County municipalities of South Wilmington,
24 Gardner, Coal City and Braceville that are within proposed RD
25 79 are similar socioeconomically to the smaller Kankakee County
26 communities of Essex, Herscher, Bonfield, Chebanse, and St.
1 Anne in proposed RD 79.  All the areas within proposed RD 79,
2 with the exception of the African American communities, are
3 predominately Caucasian with a median income of $44,000 to
5     The African American population of proposed RD 79 is
6 clustered in eastern Kankakee and Hopkins Park, which is to the
7 east of Kankakee in Pembroke Township.  Hopkins Park and other
8 African American areas of Kankakee are tied together
9 culturally, spiritually, and socioeconomically.  The median
10 income is no more than $44,000 in these areas; therefore, the
11 communities are also linked by their predominant median income
12 which falls below that of surrounding areas within the
14     A majority of the population in proposed RD 79 is from
15 current RD 79. This preserves the incumbent-constituent
16 relationship that has existed over 4 election cycles. The
17 partisan composition slightly decreases as compared to the
18 current composition under current RD 79.
5     Proposed RD 80 includes portions of Cook and Will counties
6 and the communities of Glenwood, Chicago Heights, and South
7 Chicago Heights. Proposed RD 80 includes 39.58% of current RD
8 80 and  gains necessary population to the south and west. This
9 is possible, and necessary, because of the considerable
10 population growth in Will County that requires the reduction in
11 size of several current representative districts.
12     In the Cook County portion of proposed RD 80, both Rich and
13 Bloom townships are divided. The portion of Rich Township
14 included in proposed RD 80 is still heavily African American
15 and is very similar to the portion of Bloom Township included
16 in proposed RD 80.  The cities in the Rich Township portion of
17 proposed RD 80 include most of Flossmoor, nearly all of Park
18 Forest, and a significant portion of Olympia Fields. The
19 portion of Bloom Township included in proposed RD 80 not only
20 contains a large African American population, it also contains
21 the areas with the most concentrated Hispanic population within
22 proposed RD 80. This portion of Bloom Township is also included
23 in current RD 80.  Proposed RD 80 includes most of Chicago
24 Heights and South Chicago Heights.
25     In the Will County portion of proposed RD 80, proposed RD
26 80 contains the entirety of Manhattan and Green Garden
1 Townships, following the Manhattan Township boundary for part
2 of the western border. Nearly all of Florence Township is
3 included in proposed RD 80, with only the portion south of
4 Kahler Road excluded from the district. The southern border
5 following Kahler Road rejoins the Florence Township boundary at
6 South Martin Long Road, and extends to the Rockville Township
7 line. Proposed RD 80's southern border then follows local roads
8 through Wilton and Peotone townships until the intersection of
9 Peotone and Monee townships in Will County for purposes of
10 equal population.  The border of proposed RD 80 then heads north
11 along Harlem Avenue, which serves as the eastern boundary of
12 Peotone and Green Garden Townships. Monee and Crete townships
13 are also partially within proposed RD 80. Monee Township is
14 divided by West Monee Manhattan Road to keep the Monee
15 Reservoir intact outside of the district.  The border then
16 follows South Governor's Highway northeast through the city of
17 University Park to preserve some of the more industrial
18 portions of the township in proposed RD 80. The district border
19 then moves further east so that the entirety of Governor State
20 University can be included in proposed RD 80, as well as a
21 large portion of the residential areas of University Park.
22 Proposed RD 80 then heads north and west around the outside of
23 Laurel Park in Crete Township until it reaches Kings Grove
24 Forest Preserve in Cook County. The other partial townships
25 within Will County are New Lenox and Frankfort Townships.
26 Proposed RD 80 reaches into New Lenox Township. The border then
1 follows Laraway Road until moving north to Route 74 for the
2 entire length of Frankfort Township.
3     The majority of proposed RD 80 is middle class with a
4 median income of $44,000 to $99,000, similar to current RD 80.
5 Proposed RD 80 does gain some higher income areas in both Will
6 and Cook Counties, while losing some lower income areas in Cook
7 County. Thus, the overall median income is higher than in
9     Many of the residents of proposed RD 80 commute to their
10 jobs either in Chicago, other south suburban communities, or
11 the Joliet area.  Transportation is a major issue as the area is
12 currently underserved in mass transit, especially buses.
13 Residents have few options, outside of driving, if they need to
14 get to work in Chicago. The northeastern portion of proposed RD
15 80 is served by the Metra Electric Line, which does not run 24
16 hours a day.
17     Proposed RD 80 and current RD 80 have an almost identical
18 partisan composition.
19     Proposed RD 80 reflects a shift in the African American
20 population measured in the 2010 Census. Many African Americans
21 have moved out of Chicago and further into the southern and
22 western suburbs. The new portions of Will County included in
23 proposed RD 80 have increased both their African American and
24 Hispanic populations.  Proposed RD 80 contains a unique
25 community of interest of African American and Hispanic families
26 who have generally chosen to leave the city for better housing
1 and educational opportunities in the suburbs.  In addition to
2 keeping a minority community of interest together, the area is
3 increasing in population quickly.  These towns and cities form a
4 community of interest of fast-growth communities that are
5 dealing with urban planning, transportation, and government
6 services issues related to a rapid expansion in population.
11     Proposed RD 81 contains a population of 108,735,  the
13 "one person, one vote" principle. Several districts shifted due
14 to population issues, and thus proposed RD 81 contains portions
15 of 4 current representative districts. Proposed RD 81 contains
16 large portions of current RDs 47 and 48, as well as small
17 portions of RDs 42 and 82.
18     Proposed RD 81 is in Will and DuPage counties and contains
19 a substantial portion of Downers Grove as well as portions of
20 Lisle, Milton, and Downers Grove townships in DuPage County and
21 DuPage Township in Will County. Proposed RD 81 includes the
22 municipalities of Bolingbrook, Downers Grove, Darien, Lisle,
23 Naperville, Westmont, and Woodridge. These additions are
24 necessary to attain the equal population target.
25     Proposed RD 81 is a district of heavy residential
1 development but works to cater to a recreational community of
2 interest with the Greene Valley Forest Preserve, Four Lakes
3 Village (for snowboarding and skiing), and the Lisle Park
4 District Golf Course.
5     The entire proposed RD 81 has similar socioeconomic
6 characteristics and has  a median income of $99,000 to $148,000.
7 These upper middle income households comprise the majority of
8 the areas on both side of Interstate 355, which runs through
9 the center of proposed RD 81.
10     The partisan composition is roughly similar to the current
11 composition of the portions of the districts that create
13     A section of the southern boundary is extended to include
14 an Asian neighborhood with similar economic and cultural
15 interests. Proposed RD 81 contains an African American
16 voting-age population of 4.18%, an Asian voting-age population
17 of 9.75%, and a Hispanic voting-age population of 5.69%.
18     <