Editor's note: This op-ed was originally published by The Center Square.
As an attorney and former Illinois lieutenant governor, I take our state court system very seriously, especially the highest court in our state – the Supreme Court.
Fairness is the foundation of our civil justice system. A Supreme Court justice is expected to uphold the law fairly and impartially, regardless of personal opinion, political party or religion. They respect the law as it’s written and stay within the limits of their own authority.
Unfortunately, Illinois lawmakers just randomly decided to redraw the Supreme Court boundaries for the first time in nearly 60 years to maintain their political advantage, and Gov. J.B Pritzker quickly signed the new map into law.
Following the retention loss of Justice Thomas Kilbride last year, Democratic leaders feared they could lose the race for the open Supreme Court seat in 2022, which would shift control of the Supreme Court to Republicans and give the opposing party a chance to challenge the Democrats’ total domination of government in Illinois.
As they did with state legislative districts, legislators used faulty data to make these changes instead of relying on the more accurate Census data. As a result, these new districts will impact our judicial branch and elections inaccurately for decades to come.
Next time we need our state representatives, senators and governor to resist politicizing our courts and make informed choices that will benefit all present and future Illinoisans.
Evelyn Sanguinetti, of Wheaton, is the former lieutenant governor of the state of Illinois.