South Cook News

People representing different minority groups appear to have some concerns about the proposed Cook County judicial subcircuit maps and recently spoke out against them in front of state lawmakers.

Young Woon Han, a community organizer at Chicago's HANA Center, was one witness who questioned the map during a House and Senate Joint Redistricting Committee hearing on Dec. 16. 

"Judicial subcircuits were established to ensure representation for smaller communities. They have helped to diversify the bench and we hope they continue to do so. The proposed subcircuit maps split important municipal, ethnic, and religious communities," Han said during the hearing. 

He highlighted Niles Township as a crucial "inclusive community" that shares a high school district and is supported by other areas including Skokie, Lincolnwood, Martingrove, Golf, Glenview, and Niles. Han said these communities are "best served" by remaining together in the same subcircuit.

"Asian Americans are the fastest-growing population in Illinois," Han added. "While we are made up of dozens of ethnicities and speak many more languages, we are an inclusive community that has fought for representation and voting rights."

Han said that the Village of Skokie's population is made up of 30% Asian Americans.

"We believe that respecting Asian Americans as a community of interest requires keeping these communities together as a single subcircuit," Han told the redistricting committee. "We oppose the current map boundaries."

According to Illinois Periodicals Online, back in the 1990s when judicial subcircuits were first introduced, lawmakers had hoped to have more minorities placed on the bench while removing politics from the process. 

The new proposed map was unveiled on Dec. 13 by Democratic lawmakers, CapitolFax.com reported. 

According to the press release on CapitolFax.com, the number of subcircuits under the proposal would grow by five, increasing the current 15 subcircuits to 20 in Cook County.