Remap roundup
Monday, Sep 27, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Background is here if you need it. AP…
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed off on new electoral maps the Legislature will use for the next decade, despite concerns from certain groups, including some Black and Latino voters, that they weren’t able to weigh in and wouldn’t be fairly represented.
It was the second time Pritzker approved maps drawn up by his fellow Democrats despite promising as a candidate in 2018 that he would veto any made by politicians. He also signed an earlier version that Democrats approved in May but that critics said were flawed because they were based on population estimates. Democrats redrew them last month based on newly released census data and approved them along a straight party-line vote during a one-day special session Aug. 31.
“Gov. Pritzker’s signing of the legislative maps sends a clear picture of the severity of his ‘retrograde amnesia’ and efforts to deceive Illinois citizens,” House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said in a statement Friday. “The governor now joins the multitude of Democratic legislators who lied to voters by campaigning for and promising ‘fair maps.’”
Republicans and a Latino civil rights group, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, have lawsuits pending in federal court in Chicago that seek to block the new maps from being used in elections. Lawyers for MALDEF say the maps violate the federal Voting Rights Act because they created fewer districts where Latinos of voting age make up a majority, despite Latinos making up a greater percentage of the state’s population than they did a decade ago.
* Sun-Times…
But the Democratic governor insisted the maps drawn up by his party “align with the landmark Voting Rights Act and will help ensure Illinois’ diversity is reflected in the halls of government.” […]
Pritzker’s office said the new state House and Senate district maps “reflect Illinois’ diversity and preserve minority representation” because they’re “crafted in a way that preserves clusters of minority voters if they are of size or cohesion to exert collective electoral power.” […]
But leaders at the anti-corruption group CHANGE Illinois called the Democrats’ new maps “utterly undemocratic,” saying they “steal representation from Latino, Black and other Illinoisans who have repeatedly pleaded for equitable representation.”
“Many major groups agree the new maps reduce the numbers of majority Black voting age population districts and majority Latino voting age population districts,” a statement from CHANGE Illinois reads.
* Capitol News Illinois…
Republican leaders, as well as the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, or MALDEF, quickly filed a federal lawsuit in Chicago arguing that they were unconstitutional because they were based on population estimates from survey data rather than official census numbers.
When the official numbers finally came out in mid-August, they did in fact show that population variances between districts were far outside what is allowed under U.S. constitutional law, prompting Democratic leaders to call a special session to adjust the new maps.
Republicans argue, however, that those maps were passed well after the state constitution’s June 30 deadline and, therefore, the task should be given to a bipartisan commission, a process in which Republicans would have a 50-50 chance of gaining a partisan advantage.
That decision will ultimately be up to the courts.
* Leader McConchie probably had the best quote of all last week…
Republican state legislative leaders following the bill signing on Friday reiterated their criticism of Pritzker for failing to follow his original commitment to veto partisan-drawn maps.
“The governor has now twice chosen to actively betray the people he said he was elected to protect. This choice again proves he is more concerned with protecting the political elite than the people of Illinois,” Senate GOP leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods said.
- PublicServant - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 5:32 am:
=== “The governor now joins the multitude of Democratic legislators who lied to voters by campaigning for and promising ‘fair maps.’” ===
Missed an opportunity to say democrat, Jim. You’ve lost my vote, assuming I could vote for you, that is.
- the Edge - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 8:37 am:
Election promises are to be broken. That’s politics. The reality is that a legislative map commission can’t get on the ballot nor through the GA.
- Rabid - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 8:59 am:
Change Illinois , Latino, black, and other. Who is other? Red yellow, or white
- Disappointed Female Suburban - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 9:05 am:
The Friday afternoon , hope no ones watching and brings up that I lied to help get elected.
- allknowingmasterofraccoodom - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 9:28 am:
I didn’t vote for him but have supported and championed him. But this pretty much ruins it. He lied, boldly. And continues to do so. Some lies are acceptable, this one was one of his pillars of his candidacy. This state is lost.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 9:42 am:
=== I didn’t vote for him===
… and now you’re not supporting him?
The Governor won by 15+ points. You’re not likely on his universe to convert.
To the post,
If you think maps are going to “change the tide” come election time… I won’t tell you how abortion will change voters’ minds.
- Flyin' Elvis'-Utah Chapter - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 10:09 am:
“This state is lost.”
Would you like a balcony, and maybe some pearls?
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 10:29 am:
It wasn’t a lie, he had his fingers crossed behind his back
JB is not serious about restoring faith in state government.
His words on ethics reform also ring hollow
- bob - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 10:31 am:
My home township of palos has been carved up like a turkey at thanksgiving, We are in five house districts,
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 10:46 am:
=== His words on ethics===
… says the guy who supported a man who denied a worthy child a chance, personally, to an education at Payton Prep, and that same family then “donated” $250K to the school.
Oh, the humanity, - Lucky Pierre -
A federal judge is gonna say how well these maps are drawn now. If the court allows the maps, will that “not be enough” for you?
I may not agree with signing maps, or whatnot, but it’ll be hard to argue the maps if they pass legal muster.
We’ll see if your angst wanes or you actually think the map signings will be a bigger issue than women’s health come 2022
- The Dude Abides - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 11:08 am:
What the Democrats are doing in Illinois is the same thing the Republicans are doing in states across the country that they control. It’s gerrymandering and it’s not right but if you don’t go along you get left behind in Washington.
- Original Anon - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 12:04 pm:
Whether Pritzker “lied” is irrelevant. It won’t affect him politically. Democrats will support his decision and Repubs will oppose him regardless. And the rest of the public will not care enough to change their future vote.
- Original Anon - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 12:10 pm:
What does matter is (a) does the current map violate the Voting Rights Act or Constitution and (b) whether the GA had the authority to pass a new map.
- Annonin' - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 12:36 pm:
Seems like folks missed another chance for an accounting of the several million $$$ House and Senate GOPies got for remap from the taxpayers. Best guess is a lot went to pricey meals with private lawyers where practiced saying “we really do comply with the VRA” without giggling. Hate it when opportunities are missed
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 12:38 pm:
OW you could teach a course in Whataboutism.
You would start with a few lectures about how the Democrats are not responsible for their pledges they mad to Illinois citizens to work restore faith in state government.
Then you could follow up with how to boomerang every issue back to being Illinois Republican’s fault even though you still profess to be one.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 12:51 pm:
(Sigh)
- Lucky Pierre -
You wanna make it about ethics. That was your whole point. You lack ethics. I can show you where.
I have said, many times, I may not like that the governor is signing it, it’s against his word, but “71-36”, prolly woulda/coulda been overridden… and if you’re gonna vote on “ethics” and the map, and ignore the Texas abortion law, thinking the map is a huge factor to sway votes… “good luck”
You support the Trump/Raunerite, racist thinking, insurrection loving, conspiracy theory spreading “GOP”
It’s who you are.
I am a traditional Republican that silly folks like you call “R_N_s”… again, it’s who you are.
You’ve lack honesty, integrity, ethics, and morals your takes, projecting on me your hypocrisy, as you defended Rauner’s own lacking to the above.
I know this is thinking maybe too big for you, but if you squint and try real real hard…
Also, if a federal judge says it meets the VRA, are you gonna say it’s still bad maps? That’d be some gymnastics
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 1:03 pm:
Your political opponents are all racist insurrectionists?
You truly have jumped the shark
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 1:12 pm:
=== Your political opponents are all…===
The adults are talking. Get rebooted and try to engage in honest discussions.
It’s tiring. Add to the discussions, please.
- anon2 - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 1:24 pm:
I wonder if Lucky Pierre and Leader Durkin favor “fair maps” in Republican states? Or is it just in states like Illinois where they are in the minority?
- Lucky Pierre - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 1:31 pm:
What is tiring is that you took a perfectly reasonable critique of keeping the Governor to his word on vetoing maps drawn by politicians and the Speaker admitting that people don’t trust Springfield down your rabbit hole of baseless smears and distractions.
You are a classic bully and everyone can see right through you
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 1:53 pm:
===is that you took a perfectly reasonable critique of keeping the Governor to his word===
Your own hypocrisy to his your partisan take on “governors”, and *you* wanna discuss ethics?
C’mon, man, your own name is a joke, a parody to “something” and your concerned about “holding accountable”
As the poster child for partisan “ethical critiques”, I’d think you’d appreciate being reminded how you lacked before and now see the light, “lucky Pierre”…
===everyone===
Speak for yourself. Try that.
- Oswego Willy - Monday, Sep 27, 21 @ 2:18 pm:
To the post,
How much cash and time will other candidate be spending on the map signing when facing someone spending $300K, every day, on them, connecting them to racist thinkers and insurrection, and now women’s health?
Fair maps polls well, how much is a candidate willing to go after Pritzker’s signing when they need to defend themselves from a tsunami?