McLean County Times

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed new legislative maps into law last week and Republicans say Pritzker failed to follow through with the promise he made during his 2018 campaign to reject any redistricting map drafted by lawmakers.

"When JB Pritzker was a candidate for Governor, he made a lot of promises. He told us he was different, that he was a reformer, and that he would veto any map drawn by lawmakers," Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) wrote in a Facebook post. "Today he broke his promise to voters and joins the all-too-long list of Illinois politicians who promise one thing and then do another. The people of Illinois deserve a fair, transparent process that allows them to choose their representatives in Government. Pritzker turned his back on them and chose to use his signature to further enshrine the broken status quo of politicians picking their voters." 

Though Pritzker hopes to eventually have an independent commission to redraw legislative maps, he believes the current focus is to ensure an inclusive, legal map process, WCIA reported.

“The fact is that fairness is about the Voting Rights Act in Illinois, making sure that’s been followed, the Voting Rights Act of the United States, and the Supreme Court rulings that have been made about mapmaking,” he said. “And then finally the reflection of the diversity of the state of Illinois.” 

Democrats are celebrating the new legislative maps, deeming them a great step toward a more diverse and inclusive state.  

“Today was a win for the people of this great state,” House Speaker Chris Welch (D-Hillside) said in an emailed statement. “With Governor Pritzker’s signature, people of Illinois can be confident in a legislative map that is reflective of the diversity that we see in every corner of our state.”