SE Illinois News

Illinois' now-passed partisan redistricting that produced blatantly unfair maps illustrates that the majority who want fair maps need to speak louder, a downstate freshman state representative said.

"Real change is only going to happen when enough Illinoisans stand up and demand that a 'fair maps' amendment to the Illinois Constitution is put on the ballot," State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich) told SE Illinois News. "Enough people signed the previous petitions to put the question to the voters and we should do that again. Let the people decide."

Meanwhile, everyone should expect the same-old same-old out of Springfield going forward, though there is a glimmer of hope in the upcoming gubernatorial race, Niemerg said.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker has hinted he may not seek re-election, according to an ABC 7 news report published earlier this month.

"Without 'fair maps,' the best we can anticipate is a divided government," Niemerg said. "If we can choose someone to replace Gov. Pritzker who will look at all sides of issues and make decisions based on reforming the corrupt culture in Illinois and doing the right thing for all of us regardless of zip codes, race or some special status. We need to break the absolute control by one political party so we can get other ideas, input and perspectives on public policies in Illinois."

Niemerg has represented the state House 109th District since he was sworn into office in January. In November, Niemerg soundly defeated Democrat challenger John Spencer, Darren Bailey taking more than 82% of the vote, taking the seat previously held by Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) who decided not to run for another term.

The 109th District covers all or parts of Clay, Edwards, Effingham, Jasper, Lawrence, Richland, Wabash, White and Wayne Counties.

Niemerg's comments came after unfair maps were pushed through by Democrats – with veto-proof supermajorities in the General Assembly – despite Pritzker's campaign promises to veto any such thing.

In April, well before unfair maps were passed, an NPR Illinois story said Pritzker was trying "to recast his previous statement" to suggest he doesn't mean now what he said then.

He also blamed the state's Constitution.

"I have also said that in order for us to have an independent commission, we needed to have a constitutional amendment — something that would actually change the way the process operates today in the Constitution," Pritzker said in the NPR news report. "That did not happen."

Niemerg said Pritzker has once again shown "that he cannot be trusted to tell the truth to Illinoisans with his signing of these gerrymandered maps."

Pritzker could have kept his campaign promise and "used his veto pen" to shoot down the unfair maps, Niemerg said.

Had Pritzker done that and fair maps not been produced by a Constitutional deadline of June 30, an eight-person bipartisan panel would have been created – as required under the state's Constitution – to come up with equitable redistricting.

"He could have made even and 'amendatory veto' to address the worst and most egregiously gerrymandered districts and kept district lines that he could claim were well drawn," Niemerg said. "His all-or-nothing approach to accept these bad maps reinforces his absolute partisan government playbook that he inherited from [now former longtime and powerful State House Speaker] Michael Madigan."

Instead, Democrats lawmakers in Springfield ran the once-in-a-decade redistricting season, racing to craft new legislative and congressional maps and get Pritzker to sign off on it.

This redistricting year was supposed to be different. Three years ago, Pritzker vowed to veto any "unfair" map. However, NPR Illinois reported that Pritzker and Democrat lawmakers "have melded their definitions of 'fair' and 'unfair' maps," saying instead the maps should reflect the state's diversity.

"Of course, these maps are not fair," Niemerg said, adding that they're not based on U.S. Census data to determine population and demographics in each district. "These maps break up natural communities, like counties, into three or four different districts. These maps artificially redistrict multiple legislators into the same districts. These maps are not even fair according to the governor's own stated standards to not be drawn by politicians, their staffs or their lobbyist allies."

The majority of Illinoisans want fair maps but, if the unfair maps are left unchallenged, they will have to wait another decade to get them.

One piece of bipartisan legislation that might have provided at least more fair maps, Senate Bill 1325, also called the People's Independent Maps Act, would have removed politicians from making decisions about redistricting and place that power in the hands of Illinoisans. On Friday, SB 1325 missed a deadline to come up for third reading. Instead, the bill was referred to assignments, where it died.