Rep. Tom Demmer (R-Dixon), like many Illinois House Republicans, is disappointed in how Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic lawmakers are handling the once-a-decade redistricting process this year.
In a video posted to the Illinois House GOP YouTube account, Demmer joined several others in his party to talk about the lack of “Democratic transparency in redistricting.” They spoke in front of a locked door, where the re-mapping discussion was apparently being held.
“A flawed process leads to a flawed product," Demmer said. "The process is flawed because it’s happening behind closed doors. It’s happening in a situation where politicians are picking the voters who they will represent in the next ten years. The product will be flawed because it uses not official Census data, but American Community Survey estimates.
“Our message today and the message of more than 50 groups from across Illinois and hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans who have signed petitions to call for a fair map process that empowers an independent commission is this: Use census data and open the door and let the people of Illinois in.”
The state constitution requires redistricting to be done by June 30, but official data from the U.S. Census Bureau – traditionally used to redraw maps – has been delayed by the pandemic until September. To make the deadline, Democratic lawmakers are using other sources of population data to redraw the maps.
When Gov. J.B. Pritzker campaigned for office, he promised to veto any redistricting map that was created by politicians, staff members, or partisans. He has since said that he trusts Democratic lawmakers to create fair legislative maps.
In a May 2 column, News-Gazette writer Jim Dey suggested that believing Pritzker when he said he’d veto partisan maps was a mistake.
In the column, he quotes Pritzker as saying this: “Well, as I said, I will veto an unfair map. I have also said that in order for us to have an independent commission, we needed to have a constitutional amendment, something that would actually change the way the process operates today in the (Illinois) Constitution. That did not happen. So now, as we reach the end of this session and I look to the Legislature for their proposal for a redistricting map, I’ll be looking to it for its fairness.”
Individuals who are looking for an open process include Illinois State Conference NAACP President Teresa Haley, who sees unfairness in the process.
“Every voice is important,” she said. “The NAACP is opposed to so many things, such as packing and stacking and cracking, and we’ve seen it over and over again.”
Packing, stacking and cracking, according to Prairie State Wire, are terms representing ways to dilute the impact of minority voters.
In March, the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus noted that that 75% of Illinois residents don't want politicians drawing these maps.
“In recent years, Illinois has been under fire for their redistricting process as it creates a system where the legislators in control draw the maps leading to lawmakers choosing their voters rather voters choosing their lawmakers,” a video linked to their Youtube account explains.
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