SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Democratic legislative leaders said privately Wednesday that revisions can be expected in their proposed map of the state’s congressional districts amid concerns within the party that some districts as drawn up now could flip to Republicans.

       Hearings continued Wednesday on a draft map released last week that was designed to give Democrats a 14-3 advantage over Republicans in the state’s 17 congressional districts — the state lost one House seat after the 2020 federal census showed a first-ever population decline.

       Democrats control the Illinois General Assembly and the governor’s office and are looking to enact the new congressional redistricting plan, which takes effect with next year’s midterm elections, at the end of the fall session next week.

       The initial map has been met with complaints from some members of the party’s congressional delegation over districts that were stretched to include rural areas and could flip to the GOP in low-turnout, nonpresidential year elections, jeopardizing the party’s narrow control of the U.S. House.

       U.S. Rep. Marie Newman speaks during a Chicago Tribune editorial board meeting in Chicago on Jan. 21, 2020. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune / Chicago Tribune)

       First-term U.S. Rep. Marie Newman of LaGrange has voiced dissatisfaction with a new southwest suburban district that excises portions of Chicago’s Southwest Side while encompassing a large swath of GOP-leaning rural area stretching to LaSalle and Ottawa.

       [Most read] Chicago Bulls player DeMar DeRozan buys $4.5M Chicago mansion from Michael Jordan’s ex-wife ？

       Newman was lumped into the newly drawn district along with six-term Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Channahon, a critic of former President Donald Trump and his continued leadership of the GOP. While the district has overall Democratic leanings, if Kinzinger were to survive an anticipated primary challenge, he could benefit from the rural areas added to the district in challenging Newman.

       Complaints from Chicago residents of Newman’s current district were heard during Wednesday’s legislative hearings, as residents of the Bridgeport and Beverly neighborhoods argued they should not be cut out of the new district.

       Clair Duggan, a 19th Ward resident and community activist, said the new map ignored a “common set of interests” held by city neighborhoods and southwest suburbs in the current district.

       Ryan Tolley, executive director of CHANGE Illinois, a group which has pushed for an independent commission to draw new political boundaries, said he believed the proposed map risked falling short of federal voting rights act considerations for ethnic and racial representation.

       Noting the lack of compactly drawn districts, Tolley called it “one of the more troubling aspects of the congressional map proposal. It seems to pit urban and rural areas of Illinois against each other at a time when we’re already experiencing extraordinary polarization.”

       [Most read] In Senate hearing, Rahm Emanuel both defends and expresses regret over handling of Laquan McDonald shooting. ‘I’m responsible.’ ？

       Tolley said that with the state’s 61% white population, it should be possible to draw as many as three additional districts to increase ethnic and racial congressional representation beyond the current three Black and one Latino-held seats

       “I understand that people don’t live in perfect square boxes, nor are we asking to overlay a perfect grid over the state of Illinois,” he said. “But there are a handful of (proposed) districts that are in close proximity to one another that includes significant black, Latino and Asian populations.”

       While Democratic leaders who were not authorized to speak publicly about behind-the-scenes work on the map privately said revisions can be expected, they did not publicly offer any potential changes.

       The hearings took place before lawmakers ended the first scheduled week of their fall session a day early, leaving a large agenda for next week that in addition to the congressional map could include possible action on extending greater abortion rights to minors, tightening up exemptions to pandemic mandated testing, masking and vaccination rules and a package of tax credits to spur electric vehicle manufacturing.

       rap30@aol.com

       Revisions expected to Democrats’ congressional map as South Side residents complain about being cut out of Rep. Marie Newman’s district

       1h

       In Senate hearing, Rahm Emanuel both defends and expresses regret over handling of Laquan McDonald shooting. ‘I’m responsible.’

       2h

       Elite Street Chicago Bulls player DeMar DeRozan buys $4.5M Chicago mansion from Michael Jordan’s ex-wife

       1:26 PM

       Politics In Senate hearing, Rahm Emanuel both defends and expresses regret over handling of Laquan McDonald shooting. ‘I’m responsible.’

       2h

       Business For loyal Portillo’s customers, IPO puts a new item on the menu: shares in a favorite company

       3h