Editor鈥檚 note: This story was originally published by the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
Two GOP state representatives and two could be forced to run against each other in the spring 2022 primary if Democrats approve redrawn districts proposed late last week.
Democrats put Republican state Rep. David Friess of Red Bud into a district with Rep. Charlie Meier of Okawville, and drew together GOP Sens. Jason Plummer of Edwardsville and Darren Bailey of Xenia. Redistricting happens every 10 years after the U.S. Census count and is supposed to realign districts with population shifts.
Republicans said the maps were blatantly gerrymandered to empower Democrats and called on them to release the data they used. So far, Democrats have yet to produce it.
鈥淩ebuffing all calls of transparency, they are taking whatever actions necessary to ensure that politicians can draw their own maps and pick their own voters instead of letting voters pick their politicians,鈥� said Whitney Barnes, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus.
Friess said he talked with Meier, first elected to represent the 108th District in 2012, after the proposed maps were released. Friess recognizes they could be forced to campaign against one another.
鈥淲hen you have a partisan process, which is what we have here, that鈥檚 going to happen,鈥� said Friess, a freshman representative who ousted Nathan Reitz, D-Steeleville, in the 116th District last November.
Plummer said his district doesn鈥檛 belong to him, but to voters. If he gets a chance to serve them again, he said, he鈥檇 be honored. Bailey, the senator he could possibly face in a primary, is running for governor.
鈥淚 know certain legislators, especially on the other side of the aisle, really sweat over these things,鈥� Plummer said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛. I鈥檓 fortunate to have been chosen to represent the people.鈥�
It鈥檚 still too soon to start planning campaigns, however.
The maps aren鈥檛 yet final and could change after this week, possibly recasting southern Illinois Republican districts again. Lawmakers scheduled four hearings: 4 p.m. Tuesday (joint House and Senate), 6 p.m. Tuesday (House), 4 p.m. Wednesday (joint House and Senate) and 6 p.m. Wednesday (Senate).
State Sen. Terri Bryant, R-Murphysboro, said she expects Democrats to propose a different map. The first draft is rarely the final one, she added, but she remains skeptical about transparency surrounding how the maps are drawn.
鈥淲e鈥檙e all a little bit cynical up here when you鈥檙e in the super-minority,鈥� Bryant said.
Where鈥檚 the data?
Those in charge of drawing the maps said they are fair, but Republicans demanded to see the information Democrats used.
鈥淩edistricting is about making sure all voices are heard, and that鈥檚 exactly what this map accomplishes,鈥� said Chicago Democrat Sen. Omar Aquino, chair of the Senate Redistricting Committee, in a news release. Lawmakers held dozens of hearings this spring.
But Democrats have yet to release the population data they used to draw the maps, Friess said.
Complete from the 2020 count won鈥檛 be available until August at the earliest because of delays caused by COVID-19. Instead, used less detailed information from the bureau鈥檚 2019 American Community Survey estimates, but did not release their data along with the proposed maps.
鈥淭he problem is right now we have no idea whether or not the population supports the redrawing of districts as the map indicates,鈥� Friess said.
Democrats will make the data available, Rep. Elizabeth Hernandez, D-Cicero, said a day before the proposed maps were released, Capitol News Illinois reported.
Republicans also said Democrats haven鈥檛 been transparent, an assertion they say was proved further when redistricting committees decided to release their proposals after 7:30 p.m. on a Friday.
If Democrats pass the maps in a vote, they would go to Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing. If he approves, the new lines are sure to meet legal challenges.
The GOP says the governor has backtracked from his 2018 campaign promises to veto an 鈥漸nfair鈥� map.
鈥淛.B. Pritzker should keep his promise and veto this partisan-drawn, Democratic-leaning map that was drawn by the politicians for the politicians,鈥� Meier said in an email.
Republicans pushed to create an this year to no avail. The idea was popular with Democrats too last year before the pandemic brought legislative activity to a standstill and the effort died.
The Illinois constitution requires lawmakers to approve maps by June 30, but Democrats have set their own deadline of May 31, corresponding with the end of session. If they don鈥檛 finish by then, Democrats could lose the almost complete control they have over the process because it would go to a bipartisan commission.
The public may sign up to provide testimony for this week鈥檚 hearings in-person or virtually by submitting an electronic witness slip at .
Kelsey Landis is a reporter with the , a news partner of 漏 2024 外网天堂.
