BELLEVILLE – Seven Republicans on the St. Clair County board who voted with Democrat chairman Mark Kern on a map of election districts in June voted against a map he presented on Nov. 16.
Kern prevailed anyway, 18 to 9, with two members absent.
His map reduces board membership from 29 to 28.
In his first map presented in May he relied on population estimates from census bureau surveys.
All board members voted for it except Republican Ed Cockrell of New Athens.
He and county Republican chair Cheryl Mathews filed suit in U.S. district court, claiming Kern and the board should have waited for release of the census.
The census came out in August and their counsel Paul Evans of O’Fallon found the estimates missed their mark by wide margins.
He found a district with more than twice as many residents as another district.
Kern continued defending the map until he announced a special meeting about a replacement on Nov. 8.
His adjustments for bad estimates rippled to the county’s corners.
His northeast district (D24) ran for 13 miles along the Madison County border and 11 miles along Clinton County, with five districts (D23, D25, D26, D27, D28) inside its wings.
In the southwest he connected a block of land south of Millstadt to a block around Marissa, for a district stretching 27 miles from end to end.
At the Nov. 8 meeting, Kern stood up under criticism from the gallery while board members said nothing. He said the board would vote on adoption on Nov. 16, after public comments.
On the 16th, during public comment, Jessica McClelland asked the board to table it and said it wasn’t fair. She called it gerrymandering and said two political parties exist for check and balance.
“Do your job sir, follow the rules, and that’s all I have to say,” McClelland said.
Mary Thurman said the map obviously protected incumbents of the majority.
“You’re working harder and harder to perpetuate a power base,” Thurman said.
Wavey Lester said Democrats and Republicans at the special meeting were upset. He said public comment speakers told the board the map was fundamentally wrong.
“No changes have been made,” Lester said. "I don’t understand the purpose of having hearings. Is it what the people want or what you want?”
The gallery applauded.
Former county Republican chair Barb Viviano of O'Fallon said she was in the same district with Mascoutah 17 miles away.
“I think it’s very disturbing why you’d do that,” Viviano said.
Kevin Schmidt asked Kern to name Republicans that helped draw the map.
Kern said almost every member helped.
Schmidt said, “No names?” Others called out the question.
Kern said, “Most of them.”
Seeing no more speakers, he adjourned the comment period.
In a break before a vote on the map, Viviano said board member Kevin Dawson would represent her under the new map.
“I’m not against Dawson, he’s a Republican, but what does he know about O’Fallon?” Viviano said. “They just wanted their numbers and didn’t care whose toes they stepped on.”
Adoption took about five minutes.
Dawson said, “I look at this map and I’m frustrated.”
Republican Robert Wilhelm said, “They just obliterated my district in my opinion.”
Cockrell objected by telephone, and the board voted.
Democrats Robert Allen, C.J. Baricevic, Marty Crawford, Willie Dancy, Jerry Dinges, Ken Easterly, Steve Gomric, Scott Greenwald, Susan Gruberman, Harry Hollingsworth, Richie Meile, Jana Moll, Lonnie Mosley, Roy Mosley Jr., Ken Sharkey, Scott Tieman, Robert Trentman, and Richard Vernier voted yes.
Democrat Curtis McCall Jr. voted no, breaking from the party as Cockrell did on the other side in May.
Republicans Rick Casey, Cockrell, John Coers, Dawson, Dave Langford, Michael O’Donnell, Dean Pruett, and Wilhelm voted no.
Republicans Stephen Reeb and Matt Smallheer were not present for the meeting.
Cockrell’s challenge to the first map remains pending before U.S. District Judge David Dugan.
Evans alerted Dugan to the change of maps prior to the board’s action and moved for leave to amend the complaint.
Dugan advised Evans that he couldn’t file the motion without attaching a proposed complaint and that he could file the motion after the board acted.