Proposed Illinois referendum protecting redistricting paused after SCOTUS voting rights ruling

WASHINGTON (WLS) -- A major U.S. Supreme Court ruling Wednesday is sparking questions about the future of America's elections, specifically when it comes to the representation of people of color.

The decision by the conservative court could lead to significant changes in how congressional maps are drawn.

Historians call it the most successful Civil Rights measure in American history, but the Supreme Court Wednesday gutted a key provision of the 1965 Voting Right's Act. Experts predict this will result in fewer minority office holders.

Meanwhile in Illinois, a proposed ballot question protecting redistricting in the state constitution has been put on pause. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon says legal experts must review Wednesday's SCOTUS decision before moving forward with the legislation.

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As the Asian population grew in Chicago, the greater Chinatown population was split into four different state house districts, three state senate districts, three congressional districts and five city wards.

"In that scenario, the population just had no say in, you know, electing anyone," 24th District Illinois State Representative Theresa Mah said.

Representative Mah says when it came to policy issues and resources, it was difficult for Chinatown residents to be heard until the area was redrawn in 2011. Five years later, Mah became Illinois' first Asian-American to serve in the General Assembly. Mah says it would not have happened without protections in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and provisions in a state law.

"It's not about political party," Rep. Mah said. "It's about ensuring that we have the diversity of folks in office that reflect the people in our state, in our districts."

The point of federal Voting Rights Act was to expand access to voters who were historically denied participation and increase representation for all levels of government for people of color.

"It achieved both those goals incredibly successfully, and has been under attack for the last two decades, relentlessly for its success," said Ed Yohnka with ACLU of Illinois.

The historic law has primarily been attacked by southern Republicans because many minority office holders are Democrats.

Wednesday's 6-3 U.S. Supreme Court decision guts a key provision of the law. The high court's conservative majority ruled a Louisiana Congressional map was unconstitutionally drawn because it relied on race....

"The decision by the Supreme Court today on the Voting Rights Act is an abomination," Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said.

Democrats and voting rights advocates condemned the decision. Experts says the timing of it may come in time for the 2026 midterms.

"This really just adds fuel to the fire. It gives the states a real reason to want to redistrict, because the court has said that they can, and if they can get it done in time for the fall, it's going to be a huge help for Republicans," Northwestern Pritzker School of Law Professor Michael Kang said.

ABC7 will have more information on the Illinois proposed ballot question protecting redistricting in the state constitution being put on pause on Eyewitness News at 10 p.m. Wednesday.