Peoria Standard

Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) argues Democrats in Springfield have lost their way.

"Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and we have the perfect example in the maps that passed Aug. 31 and the process in which they were created,” Tracy recently posted on Facebook. “Tell Governor Pritzker to keep his promise! Sign our petition to veto the maps."

Tracy isn’t the only Republican lawmaker sounding the alarm over the most recent version of the maps, which only came to be after the first attempt backed by Democrats sparked a stream of lawsuits alleging violation of the Constitution’s one-person, one-vote principle.

“Again, Illinois Democrats force through a shady map via a sham process and breaching their oath to support a fair maps process,” state Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) posted on Facebook. “I’m pretty sure the governor will again break his promise and sign it despite the minority interest groups urging him not to.”

Among the groups calling on the governor to honor the pledge he made as a candidate to veto any maps drawn along partisan lines are Illinois CHANGE, the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, the United Congress of Community and Religious Organizations, Latino Policy Forum, the Decalogue Society of Lawyers, Common Cause Illinois, Agudath Israel of Illinois, Coalition for a Better Chinese American Community, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Nonprofit Utopia.

“Drawing district maps in locked back rooms yet again, Illinois lawmakers underscored their utter disregard for the will of the people and for the bedrock democratic principles of open government by and for the people,” CHANGE Illinois Executive Director Madeline Doubek said in a press release. “Gov. Pritzker said he wanted maps that reflect the state’s rich diversity. These maps fall far short of that request and should be rejected by him.”