The Story:
The legislature of the State of Illinois began a special session on Tuesday, August 31 for the purpose of drawing new state legislative and U.S. Congressional districts. The latter is tricky, because according to the numbers of the 2020 census, Illinois will have one fewer seat in the House in the decade to come than it has had in the decade past.
Background:
Since the enactment of the Permanent Apportionment Act of 1929, the total number of seats in the US House has been fixed at 435. Since then, the population of the United States has steadily increased, but the rate of the increase varies. Those states where population growth is slowest, then, lose seats.
This decade, Illinois is one of seven states to lose a seat. It has had 18 representatives: that will soon be 17.
The Thing to Know:
It seems likely that, when all has been said and done, what is now the 16th Congressional district in Illinois will disappear. This is a ring of outer suburbs (exurbs perhaps) west and south of Chicago. The incumbent there is current Adam Kinzinger (R), but Democrats plan to carve up the 16th district in a way that will benefit Democratic incumbents in two neighboring districts, Lauren Underwood (14th) and Cheri Bustos (17th).
