In some states, the redistricting process has become synonymous with gerrymandering, or manipulating boundaries to benefit one group over another. And Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) is among many who are disappointed in how the redistricting process is going in Illinois.
Every 10 years, the legislative districts are redrawn to accommodate changes in constituencies and to make sure that everyone is represented. This year happens to be the year that the maps are redrawn in Illinois, and it looks like Gov. Pritzker is going back on a 2018 promise to veto unfairly created legislative maps.
Batinick recently joined other Republican House members to appear in a video to protest how the redistricting process was playing out in a locked room behind them. Batinick talked about a conversation he’d had with then-President Barack Obama in 2016, concerning gerrymandering.
“What’s happening behind that door there, it’s not democracy. You know who agrees with me? President Barack Obama. I was fortunate enough to be in the legislature in 2016 when he came and gave a speech,” said Batinick. “A big part of it was talking about how gerrymandering is bad for the country, bad for the state, and in the brief conversation I was able to have with him, I talked about ‘hey, there’s something bipartisan we can work on. I will fully support you on anything we can do to end the gerrymandering practice.’”
In a recent opinion column, News-Gazette writer Jim Dey said he’s realized believing Pritzker’s pledge to veto unfair maps was a mistake. He quoted candidate Pritzker’s promise during his run for governor to pledge to veto. “Yes, I will pledge to veto. We should amend the constitution to create an independent commission to draw legislative maps, but in the meantime, I would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission to handle creating a new legislative map,” Pritzker said in 2018.
And in recent weeks, Pritzker has said 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,” Pritzker said.
To Dey, and others, that means that Pritzker’s going to approve any map sent to him by the Democratic lawmakers who hold a super majority in Illinois government.
The Illinois Senate Republican Caucus has been talking about this topic for months – in March, they explained how redrawing the district maps works, and how the redistricting process has happened in the state. They've also noted 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,” the video explains. “This is often referred to as gerrymandering.”
The Illinois NAACP has also shown concern over how the legislative maps are being drawn in a year where updated Census data has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Early this month, Illinois State Conference NAACP President Teresa Haley called the redistricting process “usually manipulative to the minority community.”
“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.”
With the delay of the updated information from the Census Bureau, the legislators drawing these maps will not have entirely accurate information. Facing a constitutionally mandated June 30 deadline for new maps, WCIA news reported that Pritzker has expressed support for new maps drawn by Democratic lawmakers, instead of appointing an independent commission of legislators from both parties to create these maps.
Alerts Sign-up