Rockford Sun

State Rep. Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) is demanding that Gov. J.B. Pritzker veto newly drawn district maps that critics charge are designed for the express purpose of keeping Democrats in power.

“Moments ago, the House voted 73-43 along party lines to pass the Democrats’ partisan-drawn maps for the State of Illinois,” Keicher posted on Facebook. “I share the sentiments Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) expressed tonight. Politicians should not be drawing maps. Period. I join those urging Governor Pritzker to stand by his campaign promise and veto this bill.”

Republicans contend Democratic lawmakers drew up the maps in secret with the  sole intention of keeping themselves in power.

"State Representative @JeffKeicher has called for @GovPritzker to veto the ‘new maps’ gerrymandered by the democrats. We couldn’t agree more,” the Kane County GOP tweeted.

The most recent vote came after Pritzker signed a similar redistricting measure into law earlier this year, resulting in a flood of lawsuits from Republican lawmakers and the American Legal Defense and Education Fund who argues the maps are “flawed and unconstitutional because they were based on population estimates from the American Community Survey rather than the 2020 census.”

With up-to-date census data now available, Democrats say the maps will be accordingly adjusted when the legislature reconvenes in Springfield.

Typically, lawmakers have relied on Census Bureau data to complete the job of redistricting, but with the release of 2020 data significantly slowed by the impact of COVID-19, Democrats used the American Community Survey data to satisfy the guidelines of a June 30 deadline mandated in the state constitution.

Failure to meet the deadline would have automatically led to the creation of an eight-person, bipartisan commission to complete the job with a ninth person to be randomly selected to break any deadlocked votes.