Peoria Standard

Assistant Minority Leader Ryan Spain (R-Peoria) nudged Illinoisans’ memory of politicians' dubious pledges on independent maps.

He also stressed that using the American Community Survey (ACS) data is less accurate and partisan.

“I think it's important that we be very clear about what's at stake here and the dangerous games the Democrats are playing in absolute contradictions to their past words and campaign pledges,” Spain said. “American Community Survey data undercounts diverse communities because of some of those citizenship questions, and it's also an unreliable sample with data that includes information going back over five years. The importance of the census cannot be overstated and the bipartisan cooperation that was achieved through the census is an important building block that cannot and should not be tossed away now here in this moment in the state of Illinois.”

Citizenship was a question Spain thinks should not be included in the census, “because it may do something to depress the turnout and participation that we so desperately wanted to see in the U.S. Census.”

Spain, during the April 21 news conference on the redistricting process, also highlighted that in previous years the GOP joined Democrats to ensure that Illinois would create the ‘most complete, reliable and accurate’ 2020 US Census possible, making the current redistricting process more disappointing.

Rep. Andrew Chesney (R-Freeport) said that Republicans differ from Democrats in that the GOP says citizens should be picking their representatives, not the other way around.