Peoria Standard

While the majority party touts changes to Illinois judicial subcircuit maps as reflecting shifts in populations that have come about over the last century, veteran state Rep. Tim Butler questions the motivation.

“This continues the trend that we've seen from redistricting throughout this entire year, a lack of engagement from the public, lack of input from anyone, maps that are drawn behind closed doors,” Butler said in a video posted to YouTube. “What this is — without engagement from the judiciary, state’s attorneys, judges, circuit clerks, no one's been consulted in this — what this is, is a continued power grab by the majority.”

Sangamon, Madison and DuPage could see new judicial sub-circuits after the legislation passed the Senate and House on Jan. 5. There was no  Republican support. The House voted 66-34 to send the bill to Gov. Pritzker's desk.

“You decided to remake the Supreme Court and remake the appellate courts and now you want to remake the Circuit courts so you can defend the governor's agenda in the courts eventually," Butler said of his Democrat counterparts. "That's where this is going: to elect more Democratic judges. It's not about diversity, it's about electing democratic judges.”

Butler argues the fact that Senate President Don Harmon is one of the bill's sponsors strikes him as telling.

“The president of the senate, Don Harmon, is the chair of the Cook County Democratic slating committee for circuit courts,” he said. “Oh and by the way, from the 13th ward we have Michael Madigan. Those are your people that are making the decisions to slate judges. Cook County is waiting till 2024 so they can slate the judges that they wanna slate, and we’ll see all the crazy decisions that come out of Cook County.”