Sangamon Sun

House Republicans are frustrated with Gov. J.B. Pritzker's broken campaign promise to veto partisan map put on his desk this year.

In a House floor discussion in April, Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) called on Pritzker to hold his word as he promised. 

"I've asked multiple times in hearings about data being used and what the process is, and so far we've had 27 hearings and I've been in almost every one of them," Butler said on the floor on April 27. "Gov. Pritzker is once again going back on his word to veto a partisanly drawn map."

Butler said that Pritzker has made conflicting statements on whether a constitutional amendment is needed to create an independent commission.

"Let us remind the governor he previously said, short of a constitutional amendment, he would urge Democrats and Republicans to agree to an independent commission that would handle the maps," Butler said. 

The governor has also cited statehouse Republicans for dragging the process down and not engaging with Democrats, according to the representative, who says that that's not the case.

"Let me tell you, governor, I'm engaged," Butler said in response to Pritzker's comments that Republicans allegedly were not engaging in the redistricting process. "I've attended almost all of these hearings and asked questions at practically every hearing, and we get no answers for our side from the other side."

Butler pointed out that several lawmakers, including himself, have introduced legislation that would create an independent redistricting commission, but Democrats did not offer the legislation their support despite being in favor of fair maps in the past.