Avelar was one of about two dozen people who addressed the House Redistricting Committee on Monday at Elgin Community College. Legislators are gathering public sentiment about remaps based on the 2000 U.S. census, with political clout and levels of government services riding on the outcome. Decision-making this year is likely to be shaped in part by the growing Hispanic community in Elgin and throughout the state. According to the latest census, more than a third of Elgin's 94,500 residents are Hispanic. Speakers at the forum said they expected it will take a lot of lobbying for Latinos to have political boundaries established in their favor.
Nobody likes to give up power.
Some speakers said they fear there is a lack of awareness about what is at stake. Elgin City Manager Joyce Parker said the city is devising political boundaries to propose to the committee. . Lawmakers at the meeting said they were sympathetic to the pleas of participants. Minorities, we've always been wanting a seat at the table. We're getting there, but slowly, slowly.