Kankakee Times

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the Republicans did not act on an independent redistricting commission. But Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), lead Republican on the Senate Redistricting Committee, before the governor approved the maps, urged for an independent redistricting commission.

Barickman has also been reminding the governor to keep his campaign promise of rejecting any maps that would be drawn by lawmakers.

“The governor ran as a reformer,” he said during a news conference. "He looked people in the eye and said, look you can count on me to be different. I promise to stand up to the Democratic machine and I promise to fight for the people. He went as far as to say that he promised to veto a map drawn by politicians. Well, governor, that map is about to be in your hands and you are about to show to the people of this state whether your word is your bond. Governor, we call on you to keep your promise to do the right thing to veto these politician-drawn maps that do not represent the people of this state. These politicians' maps, they just protect the Democratic interest that maintains their grip on their power.”

Barickman also requested for the commission several times including in a statement he published following the Democrats’ release of the maps they created.

“Illinois has to change the way districts are drawn,” he said. “We desperately need a system where the public actively participates in an open, transparent, and independent process. We need an independent commission to draw the districts based on Illinoisans’ diverse communities and shared interests, to make districts more competitive, which will result in a much more responsive legislature.”

Barickman says the maps were based on erroneous data and showed the real aim of the state Democrats.

“The hypocrisy that exists within our Democratic colleagues is thick as bricks,” Barickman said. “What did we see from Democrats? They ignored the witnesses, they ignored their constituents, they ignored their own promises. And for what? So that they could maintain their grip on power. They proceeded with their redistricting process using outdated and inaccurate ACS data that puts at risk the very communities and individuals for which they proclaim to represent… We have no congressional maps, why? because Democrats at the national level have requested the Democrats in the states not proceed to draw the congressional maps using inaccurate data that will be held unconstitutional.”

It was clear to Barickman that the maps were “created to prioritize the protection of incumbent politicians.”