Chambana Sun

Republican state Senator Chapin Rose has released a statement on what he is calling “a power grab” after legislative Democrats passed new judicial subcircuits maps that included Champaign County.

Rose said that politicians have a constitutional oath not to make the judicial branch political, but his Democratic counterparts were not adhering to that notion.

“The courts are meant to be independent of politics, I will not destroy that cherished constitutional precept by joining the Democrats  in their court-packing scheme which, make no mistake, is specifically  designed to politicize the courts,”  he wrote in a release.

A proposal of drafted judicial subcircuits can be found here.

Sangamon, Madison and DuPage counties could see new judicial subcircuits after the Senate and House passed the law on Jan. 5 without the backing of Republicans, according to The State Journal-Register.

Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero), who sponsored the bill, told the newspaper that “it’s designed to bring diversity based on population shifts.” However, Republicans believe the move would fill the court systems with progressive Democratic judges who would employ their beliefs in court rulings.

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), Republican spokesman on the House Redistricting Committee, told The State Journal-Register that it was an atrocity.

“It's an abomination to this institution. It's an abomination to the people of Illinois,” Butler said. "This is the perfect example why politicians shouldn't draw maps. This is the perfect example why we need an independent, citizen-led commission to draw our maps, from the legislative to the congressional to the judicial, and even the Cook County Board of Review."

According to the Illinois General Assembly, the House voted 66-34, along party lines, to send the bill to Gov. Pritzker's desk for his signature.