Prairie State Wire

Republicans are continuing their pressure campaign on Gov. J.B. Pritzker's position change on removing politics from the redistricting process.  

In 2018 Pritzker made a promise during his campaign to veto any partisan map made in the redistricting process but recently changed his position and announced he trusted Democrats would be fair in the redistricting process. 

State Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) has criticized Pritzker for going back on his word more than once, including recently on the House floor. 

"I've asked multiple times in hearings about data being used and what the process is and so on," Butler said, noting there's been 27 redistricting hearings, and he's been at nearly every one. "[...] Gov. Pritzker is once again going back on his word to veto a partisanly drawn map. Let us remind the governor that he said previously short of a constitutional amendment, he would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission that would handle the maps."

The majority party in the legislature normally draws redistricting maps. Democrats have until June 30 to get a map on Pritzker's desk. The governor stated a constitutional amendment would be needed to enact the independent commission, a statement that Butler says is in direct conflict with Pritzker's previous words. 

According to Butler, Pritzker's statement on allowing a partisan map to continue included, "I hope Republicans will choose to work with Democrats on the map. Right now, it looks like they're just saying no, they're not really engaging."

"I'm engaged," Butler said. "I've attended almost all these hearings. I've asked questions at practically every hearing, and we get no answers from the other side."

Gerrymandering has been rampant in Illinois for decades. Pritzker isn't the first governor to pledge against a partisan map in their campaign or early office stages, only to sign a gerrymandered map into law once it was presented to them. 

Illinois State Conference NAACP President Teresa Haley said in a redistricting hearing that redistricting has been manipulative to the minority community and that every voice is important. 

"The NAACP is opposed to so many things, such as packing and stacking and cracking, and we've seen it over and over again," Haley said.