EAST ST. LOUIS – Lawyer Paul Evans of O’Fallon drew St. Clair County board districts according to the 2020 census and offered his map in U.S. district court to replace the one passed by the board in May based on population estimates.
In a lawsuit playing out in federal court, Evans attached his map to a motion he filed on Sept. 23, for expedition of his challenge to the board’s map.
He wrote that candidates would start circulating petitions on Jan. 13, and resolution would be needed by Dec. 31.
He claims his map comes close to the desired population, keeps districts compact, and crosses township lines only where low population made it necessary.
He claims population shifts forced relocation of minority districts and caused other districts to have significant minority populations.
He claims his District 2 would have substantially equal numbers of African-Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians.
District Judge David Dugan presides.
The county board adopted a map for its 29 districts in May, in advance of the census, by relying on estimates from census bureau surveys.
Evans sued Democrat board chairman Mark Kern in August, on behalf of Republican board member Ed Cockrell and county Republican chairwoman Cheryl Mathews.
Evans claims the map would violate the U.S. Constitution even if the survey estimates proved accurate.
He alleges excessive population variations, odd shapes of districts, and unnecessary crossing of township lines in violation of state law.
Kern’s estimates didn’t prove accurate, according to a comparison Evans filed after release of the census.
Evans found that census numbers in seven of 29 districts varied from estimates by more than 1,000.
He found variations greater than 400 in 11 other districts.
He counted 11,510 persons in District 10 and 5,180 in District 2, on Kern’s map.
Kern’s estimates showed both districts close to 9,000.
On the same date that Evans filed his map, county counsel Garrett Hoerner of Belleville moved to dismiss the suit.
Hoerner claims a redistricting plaintiff in federal court must demonstrate that he has a personal stake in the outcome distinct from a general grievance.
He defended the population deviations on the basis of the estimates, rather than the census numbers that Evans provided.