McLean County Times

State Rep. Tom Bennett (R-Watseka) is calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to honor his commitment to fair maps for the sake of all of Illinois.

“Despite promises of transparency, these districts are being drawn in secret while the people of Illinois are being locked out,” Bennett said during a recent press conference on the issue posted to YouTube. “It is yet another good reason for Gov. Pritzker to keep his word to veto any unfair, partisan map that is produced in this process.”

WCIA recently reported groups of Democratic lawmakers were recently spied pouring in and out of a locked door on the Capitol Complex grounds where the subject was being debated. Inside, activities included staffers from House Speaker Chris Welch’s office showing members where the lines of their new districts could be drawn.

Welch spokeswoman Jaclyn Driscoll later defended the gatherings as “nothing new,” adding “in fact, the room we’re talking to members in is actually the same we met in 10 years ago. This is and will remain a transparent process.”

Republican state Sen. Steve McClure is among those not totally convinced, highlighting the low turnout at the public proceedings.

“Unfortunately, there was very little notice,” he said at a Senate redistricting committee hearing in Peoria in March. “Thirty counties are represented in this room. Very few people are actually here. And it’s kind of disappointing that this is the process when we’ve got our voters and our constituents who don’t even have the information to even give a realistic interpretation of it, or to present a map, which is what we’re supposed to be doing. We’re supposed to be collecting maps from our constituents. Unfortunately, we don’t even have the data to do that.”