Sangamon Sun

Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) called on the governor to engage in the redistricting discussions and speak his mind.

The Republican Spokesperson on the House Redistricting Committee said he, state Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Morrisonville) and U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis (R-Decatur) penned a letter to the governor, through Committee Chairs Rep. Lisa Hernandez and Sen. Omar Aquino, requesting that he testify before the joint House and Senate Redistricting Committee hearing.

“We have yet to hear from the governor's office and I believe we've had 20 hearings now in the house,” Butler said.  “I don't know how many the Senate has had, but we've yet to hear from the governor on his views on redistricting right now as the process is going on. As Rep. Bourne pointed out it's vitally important that we hear from the governor. He needs to give some direction as to what his thoughts are on what we think will be a partisan-drawn map coming out of the general assembly this spring.”

Butler pointed out that Illinoisans want to have an “open, transparent, and citizen-led process to draw the maps for the next 10 years.”

“They want it on the local level, they want it on the legislative level,” he continued. “They want it on the Congressional level. And it has been groups from across the political spectrum that has said the same thing. We need citizens more involved and we need an open and transparent process. The governor supports a commission, his own words have said that in the past. A majority of the legislature supports a commission either through voting previously for a commission, co-sponsoring legislation for a commission or in their public statements about a commission. A majority in both chambers supports a commission but more importantly, the people support a commission.”

He added that the governor should prove he’s true to his words.

“It’s time for the governor to lead,” Butler appealed. “It’s time for him to tell the Speaker and the Senate President that he will have nothing to do with a partisan-drawn map… It's the way the people want to have their maps drawn and I'm fearful that the majority is not going down that path this spring and we will once again have partisan-drawn maps in Illinois.”

Nearly 600,000 Illinoisans signed petitions to put an independent commission ballot initiative in 2016.

As a candidate in 2018, Pritzker was asked if he would veto any partisan-drawn maps, to which he responded: “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.”