Democrats are telling the Illinois Supreme Court that Republican attempts to toss the legislative map are too little, too late. In documents made public Thursday state Democrats say the case was filed too close to next month's primary election. When a party thinks it's getting the short end of the stick on a new legislative map, it usually doesn't waste any time asking the Illinois Supreme Court for help. There have only been five new maps since 1970 so it's a small sample size. But most of those cases were filed within two weeks of the new maps becoming law. Republican Party leaders were unsuccessful in a federal case filed last year. And they waited until this month -- just six weeks before the primaries --to ask for help from the Illinois Supreme Court.
Republicans say the new borders unfairly help Democrats and they say some of the districts have such "bizarre" shapes that they violate the Illinois Constitution. Lawyers for the Democrats say none of that trumps the case's "inexcusable tardiness." Democrats say local governments already spent millions preparing for the election. Candidates have been campaigning in new districts for months. And absentee voters could already be casting ballots.
Republican Senate Minority Leader Christine Radogno, one of the plaintiffs, says she has not seen the Democratic response and did not wish to comment.
