The clash between Chicago’s Black and Latino aldermen in the ward remap dis­pute intensified last week when the Chica­go Black Caucus argued that its proposal to map all 50 wards is based on the 2019 citi­zen voting age population (CVAP).

The argument added more fire to the ward remap dispute between Chicago’s two largest ethnic groups on the final pub­lic hearing on Friday, January 21. With no agreement in sight, the decision on a ward remap appears to be headed for a referen­dum that will go before voters in the June 28 Primary.

At issue are two different ward remap proposals from Chicago’s Black and Lati­no Caucuses.

The Black Caucus’ proposal includes 17 Black wards and 14 Latino wards. The Lati­no proposal includes 15 Latino wards and 16 Black wards.

So far, the Black Caucus’ proposal has the most support from the city’s aldermen, but it does not have the required 41 votes to pass. Both sides remain at odds in avoid­ing a costly referendum that will allow vot­ers to make the final decision.

Black Caucus members say the Latino proposal would not work because Chicago’s Latino population doesn’t have enough vot­ers who are old enough to elect more Lati­nos on the City Council. An expert on the city’s redistricting supported that argument at Friday’s hearing.

Latino Caucus members are angry and argue that the remapping of the city’s 50 wards is historically based on the U.S. Cen­sus figures, which the latest shows Latinos make up 30 percent of the city’s 2.7 mil­lion population compared to Blacks, who make up 29 percent of Chicago residents.

Allan Lichtman, an expert who analyzed redistricting efforts in a federal case, said the map favored by the Black Caucus seems likely to give the Latino Caucus a bet­ter chance to win in Latino-ma­jority wards. But the Latino Cau­cus has repeatedly rejected using citizen voting-age population da­ta to redraw Chicago’s 50 wards.

Caucus members said that the use of voting-age only data is a way of excluding non-citizens in a sanctuary city. The group is considering drafting an ordi­nance that would allow non-cit­izens to vote in municipal elec­tions like a recent law passed in New York City.

During the January 21 hearing Lichtman said the voting popula­tion in Chicago’s Latino commu­nity is just 20.7 percent.

During the hearing, there was al­so talk of crossover voting between Black and Latino candidates.

Lichtman said that it’s “quite common” for Latino and non-Lati­no voters to vote for the same can­didate. He said this goes on in wards where minorities make up over 40 percent of the population.

The Black Caucus, which in­cludes 20 Black Chicago alder­men, also says a recent federal court ruling helps support their proposal. That Black Caucus points to the court ruling.

Last December, a three-judge panel in the case upheld Demo­crats’ redrawing of Illinois’ 177 leg­islative district boundaries. Dem­ocrats successfully argued that Illinois’ history of racial crossover voting has shown that Latino can­didates can get elected without ad­ditional Latino-majority districts. Black Caucus members believe the ruling would help them prevail in court should the Latino Caucus file a lawsuit.

Burt Odelson, an attorney for the Latino Caucus, said at Friday’s hearings that he disagreed with Lichtman’s argument because Chicago municipal elections are nonpartisan and that the city’s precincts are ”unique.”

“The court ruling just has no bearing on the ward remap situation” Odelson said.

Politico’s Illinois Playbook on Monday, January 24, reported that Alderman Michelle Harris, who chairs the Rules Committee, which is overseeing the remap pro­cess, last spring lobbied the Illinois Legislature to reduce the thresh­old for approving a new ward map from 41 to 26 votes.

Since the ward remap process began, Harris has vowed to pro­tect Chicago’s 18 majority Black wards. The Illinois Playbook said it has lost trust in Harris, whom they believed was supposed to be neutral as chair of the Rules Com­mittee.

But Harris, an ally of Mayor Lori Lightfoot, has clashed with Latino aldermen during the pro­cess and accused them of trying to circumvent the process. She said in one news report that Lati­no aldermen will lose if there is a referendum that will be decid­ed by voters.