LaSalle County would be parceled out to three State Senate districts and eight different House districts in the draft redistricting maps released Friday night by the Democrats in control of the state legislature.
Republicans statewide have been quick to be highly critical of the maps which used preliminary data from the recently completed U.S. Census.
The 76th district, currently represented by Democrat Lance Yednock of Ottawa, would cover an area from far eastern Bureau County including Spring Valley and Ladd, eastward through Peru, LaSalle, Oglesby, Utica, Ottawa and the western part of Marseilles.
The district then makes a sharp turn to the north and takes a narrow path covering Dayton, Wedron, and Serena continuing in an ever more narrow strip along Illinois 23 east of Leland and northward to cover most of DeKalb including the campus of Northern Illinois University.
On the south, the proposed 76th includes Grand Ridge and has the Leonore Blacktop as the southern edge.
The eastern of Marseilles and Seneca, but north of the Illinois River, would be part of the 75th District which takes in Morris, Minooka, and north to Yorkville.
South of the Illinois River and mostly east of Route 23, but not including Grand Ridge, is part of the 106th District which covers a large area from Dwight to Watseka and then south to just north of Danville.
South of the Leonore Blacktop is the 105th District which would take in the rest of LaSalle County including the panhandle, but would not take in the most eastern portion of Streator which falls into the 106th.
The western edge of LaSalle County would fall into the 73rd District which would be along and west of I-39 to include Lostant and Tonica while Cedar Point remains in the 76th.
Regarding the Illinois Senate draft Democratic map, the 38th Senate seat currently held by State Senator Sue Rezin of Morris would cover the 76th and 75th House districts.
Rezin would not have Exelon Nuclear Station in her district any longer, but would continue representing Dresden and Braidwood Nuclear Plants.
The area from south of the Illinois River at Marseilles to Streator and most of the southern panhandle will be in the 53rd Senate District. West of I-39 is the 37th District which cuts a few corners along the LaSalle-Bureau line and ends up including Mendota.
Then, to the north from I-80 is the 35th District which will take in the far northern edges of the Ottawa city limits to Waltham, Troy Grove, Dimmick and Earlville.
LaSalle County will increase its representation from four to eight different House districts while remaining part of three State Senate districts.
The new state legislative districts are drawn as part of a process required by the state constitution at least every 10 years following the federal Census. Still to be determined is a new Congressional districts map which will have Illinois losing one seat in the House of Representatives.
Democrats are up against a June 30 deadline the Illinois Constitution requires for lawmakers to pass new maps. If they miss that deadline, the task goes to an independent commission with an equal number of Democrats and Republicans.
The maps can be viewed online at www.ilsenateredistricting.com and www.ilhousedems.com/redistricting.