Chicago’s ward remap standoff has shifted into the holiday doldrums after the frantic politicking that marked the run-up to a Dec. 1 “deadline,” which aldermen promptly ignored.

       While the false sense of urgency to redraw the city’s 50 wards has waned for the moment, though, coalitions in the City Council are still hard at work claiming territory before the next round of the fight.

       The latest front is the Asian American-majority ward both Black and Latino council caucuses have pledged to create in their competing map proposals.

       Chouer Lee, 83, holds a sign that translates to "We need our voice heard" during a rally in Chinatown to promote a redistricting map with an Asian American-majority ward. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

       Last week, City Council Rules Committee consultant Anne Schaeffer mentioned in a presentation to aldermen that her analysis showed the population of the Latino Caucus’ redrawn 11th Ward, including Chinatown, fell just short of being more than 50% Asian. Supporters of that version countered their 11th Ward in fact does include an Asian majority.

       That dust-up came after backers of the Latino map ramped up their efforts to shine a spotlight on Rules Committee attorney Michael Kasper, a powerful Illinois election lawyer with connections to scandal-plagued former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan.

       [Most read] Column: For a longtime crime reporter, Jussie Smollett case smelled fishy from the start ？

       Repeatedly referring to the Rules proposal — which is supported by nearly all the council’s Black aldermen along with several white aldermen — as “the Mike Kasper map,” Latino aldermen said he was working behind the scenes to craft a plan aimed at protecting entrenched interests at the expense of the city’s growing Hispanic population.

       That drew an angry rebuke from Rules Committee Chair Ald. Michelle Harris, a member of the Black Caucus who’s been running the council remap hearings. It’s sexist of opponents to claim she’s just a front person, Harris said. “I don’t think we’d be hearing these things if I was a man.”

       Sign up for The Spin to get the top stories in politics delivered to your inbox weekday afternoons.

       The Rules Committee met Friday and heard during public testimony from several residents of the Canaryville neighborhood, who argued their community should not be partially cut out of the 11th Ward in order to make it majority Asian.

       Dance group Chicago Happy Fitness performs at a rally to promote a redistricting map that provides an Asian American-majority ward. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

       The Rules Committee will now break until January, when Harris has set four additional meetings to give the public more chances to weigh in. The extended timeline is an opportunity for aldermen to continue negotiating privately and try to pull more colleagues to their side in the dispute.

       It’s also a bid to counteract criticism that a deal on ward boundaries was reached in a backroom. Aldermen are many Chicagoans’ most important government contact, given that quality of life in the city is measured in part by ward services such as snow removal, neighborhood crime and development priorities.

       The only real hard deadline the council faces is 40 days before Illinois’ June 28 primary election, which is the drop-dead date to either come up with a map agreed upon by 41 aldermen or set a ballot referendum to let voters decide between competing proposals.

       Mayor Lori Lightfoot would like to avoid that because of the cost and the added acrimony that would certainly result in the already fractious council. The last remap that went to referendum followed the 1990 census, when taxpayers ended up footing a $20 million legal bill filed by the supporters of the map that lost. The legal fight dragged on for six years.

       It remains to be seen whether aldermen can reach a deal before then, and whether residents are convinced their input had any real bearing on the outcome.

       The Rules Committee map creates 16 Black-majority wards, 14 Latino wards and an additional ward with a Black plurality. The Latino map has 16 Black-majority wards and 15 Latino-majority wards.

       jebyrne@chicagotribune.com

       Fight over Chicago’s new ward map won’t be resolved until 2022 — if then

       1h

       Gov. J.B. Pritzker signs measure aimed at providing millions of dollars to groups engaged in violence prevention

       2h

       Breaking News Column: For a longtime crime reporter, Jussie Smollett case smelled fishy from the start

       4h

       Politics More Lori Lightfoot texts: On Anjanette Young raid, Latino hiring, wrangling votes and dealing with opposition

       3h

       Breaking News Chicago to have more cops on duty this weekend to guard against downtown violence and disorderly conduct. Security firm to monitor CTA driver safety.

       1h