House and Senate Redistricting Committees differ over whether there may be a new Cook County subcircuit map for in time for the 2022 primary

That's probably the biggest news to emerge from this afternoon's joint meeting of the House and Senate Redistricting Committees: State Sen. Elgie R. Sims, Jr. (D-17), the Vice Chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, who was presiding today over the Senate Committee, said he understood that the new map, whenever adopted, will not be effective until 2024. House Redistricting Chair Elizabeth Hernandez (D-24) said the "goal" is to pass a Cook County subcircuit map when the General Assembly reconvenes on January 4.

Could the new map possibly be implemented for the 2022 election cycle? Rep. Hernandez appeared to hold open the possibility that it might. If a new map could be agreed upon in time.

Two of the witnesses tesitifying today, Allen Manuel, on behalf of Judge David Kelly's judicial campaign, and former 8th Subcircuit candidate Brad Trowbridge, appeared to take this possibility quite seriously.

Kelly was appointed to a 5th Subcircuit vacancy by the Illinois Supreme Court this past summer. But, his spokesman pointed out, the proposed 20-subcircuit map would take Kelly out of the 5th Subcircuit and put him in the 1st Subcircuit. Where could he run? Could he run at all?

Trowbridge pointed out that there are two vacancies currently up for election in the 8th Subcircuit. That subcircuit has a significant LGBTQ population and has frequently elected judges who identify as LGBTQ. But the heart of that community would be in the new 20th Subcircuit, Trowbridge told committee members. Would the existing vacancies move to the new 8th? Would they stay with the new 20th? How would that be accomplished?

There is a proposed map. It is linked in the preceding sentence and picutred above. There is, however, as yet, no enacting legislation.

And petitions for the 2022 primary may be circulated as of January 13.

Adding five new subcircuits to the 15 existing ones may solve some political problems -- giving different communities more or better shots at electing members of those communities to the bench -- but the incredibly short timeline is not the only pracitcal problem that arises from increasing the number of subcircuits.

There are 165 currently authorized subcircuit judges in Cook County. That works out to 11 per each existing subcircuit. But even with the newest math, 165 slots can't be evenly divided across 20 subcircuits.

So... the Legislature would have to either decrease the authorized number, to 160 perhaps, or increase it to 180 (or more). FWIW readers may recall that there was a proposal to increase the number of subcircuit seats to 270 just this past May -- although 270 isn't even divisible by 20 eiather.

Moreover, new subcircuit vacancies would have to be divvied up among the 20 subcircuits in some order. When the 15 subcircuits were established, the Supreme Court drew lots to determine the order, 1 through 15, in which vacancies would be assigned to the subcircuits. Something like that would have to happen here. So when Judge Smith in the 10th Subcircuit retires, the vacancy would become Additional Judgeship A in the 19th Subcircuit, perhaps at the other end of the county.

FWIW has written the House Redistricting Committee about these questions; if any response is received, I will advise.

Meanwhile, just because it seems crazy and impossible to put a new map in place for 2022 doesn't mean it won't happen. Depending on who is pushing the proposal.