State Sen. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) believes the new judicial subcircuit maps signed into law earlier this month is an attempt by Democrats to push their agenda.
“Absolute partisan politics at its worst,” Bryant posted on Facebook on Jan. 12. “It is court packing and stacking as well as a violation of the Separation of Powers! We spent only one day in Springfield last week all so that the legislature could pass this crap!!
Bryant posted a link to a WCIA story that featured Marcia Meis, the director of the Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts.
Meis sent Supreme Court justices an e-mail that pointed to flaws in the judicial maps, WCIA reported. She called legislation “railroaded” by the General Assembly “an unmitigated disaster.”
Under the law, 33 “at-large” judgeships would be converted into “resident” judgeships, which would expand the state’s resident judgeships to 278 and reduce the at-large positions to 167.
According to the article, Democratic lawmakers said it would give minority judicial candidates a better chance of getting elected.
The legislation passed through both chambers without Republican support. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) signed the bill into law Jan. 7.
