McHenry Times

After multiple campaign and in-office promises, Gov. J.B. Pritzker decided to go back on his vow to stand up against politics-driven legislative maps. 

Republican lawmakers who wanted to see decades of gerrymandering come to an end this remapping cycle are frustrated with the governor's change in course and his trust that the maps will be fair. 

"It is time that Gov. Pritzker kept his promise that he has made over and over again to the people of Illinois," state Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) said in a news conference on April 28. "And that promise is to support an independent map process for redistricting."

McConchie said the governor was on record multiple times making that pledge to veto a partisan map, going as far as to suggest a constitutional amendment creating an independent commission to redistrict the state rather than politicians. 

With the time to deliver on that vow arrived, McConchie accused Pritzker of "running away into the darkness of partisan politics" and blaming Republicans for the issue, despite 16 GOP-led Senate committee meetings with three letters to the governor requesting he appear before one of them. 

"[Pritzker] has so far refused to attend any of these hearings or send anyone from his administration," McConchie said. "He is the one who simply is not engaging."

More than 75% of Illinois residents have had enough of politically-driven redistricting, McConchie said, and support an independent commission deciding their elected officials' districts. 

"This is not just a Republican talking point," McConchie said. "[...] I think the majority deserves to hear testimony from the governor's office on a topic that is going to affect our elections for the next decade."

According to Illinois Policy, Republicans have had several alternatives ready to put into place, including the People's Independent Maps Act and the Fair Maps Act, but all efforts have been pushed aside by Democrats.

The policy organization reported that this behavior occurs in whatever party holds the majority when redistricting to protect incumbents. In 2016 a petition to put a fair maps question on the ballot received over half a million signatures, but Supreme Court smothered the spark.