Dupage Policy Journal

Republican House Leader Jim Durkin is calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to be a man of his word when it comes to the debate over what the state’s redistricting map comes to look like.

"As we go into the final days of session, I think it’s important to remind everyone here in Springfield that words matter and your commitments mean something,” Durkin said in a video posted to YouTube. “When someone gives you their word, particularly in this building, you should expect them to live up to it. When someone is placed in a position of leadership, they are responsible for the actions that happen under their watch.”

With the once every decade task of map redistricting slated for this year, more and more GOP lawmakers are demanding that Pritzker honor the pledge he made as a candidate not to allow the job to be done by partisan politicians.

“Gov. Pritzker has promised to veto gerrymandered maps -  maps drawn by politicians,” he added.  “Then, he went on to support an independent commission for redistricting. Those are very important issues for the voters of Illinois.”

Durkin argues that much is evident based on the 600,000 Illinoisans that signed a petition a few years back demanding that an independent map for that question to be placed on the ballot.

“However, today, democrats are drawing a partisan map behind closed doors, created by legislators, political party leaders and their staff and allies,” Durkin added. “And from what we’ve heard from the governor so far, is that he has gone back on his word on vetoing any map drawn by legislators.”

While the task normally goes to the party in control, Republican lawmakers are hopeful delays in Census Bureau data being available due to COVID-19 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.

Durkin argues the issues don’t end there.

“There is no real input from the public,” he added. “There is no transparency; there isn’t even a real idea of what phony data that they are trying to use in order to pass partisan maps.”

Durkin places all the blame squarely at the feet of the governor.

“Gov. Pritzker has shown no leadership from the second floor to tell the Democrats to do the right thing, what he had pledged to do, and also what the speaker and many of his members have pledged over the year to do: a transparent process. Taking it out of the legislator’s hands.”