Pritzker Implies He'll Sign Redistricting Plan Without Accurate Census Data
Governor JB Pritzker Wednesday seemed like he was willing to allow Democrats to push forward a legislative map before final census data is in.
Governor JB Pritzker appeared open Wednesday to signing a redistricting plan that does not use current census data.
Taking questions before receiving his COVID-19 vaccine in Springfield, Pritzker was asked if voters could trust a redistricting map drawn without current census data. The Census Bureau has indicated it will not have data available until at least late summer.
“We know a lot about the data, of population movement, and so on,” Pritzker said. “Look, it’s not Illinois’ fault that the Census Bureau isn’t prepared. It was the previous administration and COVID that both played into this problem. We have deadlines to meet and there’s great data out there to be used. I know the legislature is looking at that data now.”
Republicans are crying foul as Democrats appear as if they’ll pass a redistricting plan before June 30, the state’s constitutional deadline to pass maps through the General Assembly. Republicans, who have cited constitutional questions about a map drawn without official data, want to drag out the process to, perhaps, get a seat at the table, or the ability to draw the maps themselves.
Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield), the top Republican on the House Redistricting Committee, says Pritzker is going back on his word, in which he pledged during the 2018 campaign to veto any redistricting plan that wasn’t “fair.”
"It is becoming clear the insiders are cutting a backroom deal to give themselves more power while ignoring the will of the people of Illinois who have demanded fair maps,” Butler said. “The Governor is going back on his word to veto partistan maps. Instead, he is supporting the use of old data and going right along with the old Madigan playbook for gerrymandering maps."
(Disclosure: Rep. Butler and I worked together on Congressman Rodney Davis’ campaign in 2012.)
Pritzker argued Monday the data, though not official, can be considered accurate.
“There are sources of data that are being used that have been used by the Census Bureau itself, so I think those are reasonable for the legislature to look at,” Pritzker said.
A memo sent to House Democrats from Speaker Welch’s Chief of Staff Jessica Basham pointed members to the Democrats’ 2011 redistricting site for “background.”
Butler says Democrats are looking to press forward the same way they passed maps in 2011.
We’ve reached out to a spokesman for House Speaker Chris Welch, who previously supported a constitutional amendment initiating a non-partisan redistricting commission, but we haven’t heard back.
