Prairie State Wire

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Decatur) is imploring Gov. J.B. Pritzker to give voters what they want when it comes to redistricting.

“This is a process that the public is demanding be more open, be more transparent and as Rep. (Tim) Butler (R-Springfield) said, over 500,000 petitions to put a question on the ballot that would have opened up the redistricting process to an independent commission and because of insider politics right here in Springfield, that ballot question was not allowed to be put to the voters,” Davis said during a recent news conference on the subject where he was joined by GOP colleagues  Butler and Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Litchfield).

Davis argues voters have been clear about what they want. “I think the public is demanding an open, transparent process and many of our colleagues, including Gov. Pritzker, have said in their own words that they would like an open and transparent process, one that's going to stop politicians from picking their own voters.”

The remapping process determines legislative districts. Legislators are responsible for redrawing legislative boundaries every 10 years after the census.

While the task normally goes to the party in control, Republican lawmakers are hopeful delays in data being available will open the door to them having a greater say in the process. Bylaws dictate if a new map is not completed by a June 30 deadline, a bipartisan commission with four members from each party chosen by party leaders will supervise redistricting.

“The public is sick and tired of people saying one thing about supporting free and open remap process but clearly as we see doing another,” Davis added. “I find it very ironic though that you have organizations that have been funded robustly over the last decade to go fight for remap proposals in other states that gloss over their own home state of Illinois. Illinois is run by the Democrats who have a supermajority in the House and the Senate. The governor is a Democrat, many Democrats are on record supporting what Avery and Tim and I are talking about. We are here for one reason only, to remind the citizens of the state who said they’re for a fair and open process and we certainly hope those citizens hold them accountable.”