East Central Reporter

Republican state Sen. Jason Plummer (R-Vandalia) didn’t mince words in his recent Senate Redistricting Committee hearing with Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Iris Martinez after she sought to defend lawmakers' handling of map redistricting.

“You know the last round of hearings we had were basically boycotted by everyone in the state of Illinois essentially because no one trusts the committee and they're kind of sick and tired of being fed false information. So I fully appreciate that you might trust the committee but really no one else does,” Plummer said during the Oct. 8 gathering. “So my question would be, not how much would you need, but since you've gone through this process in the past, what do you think is a reasonable amount of time between when maps are unveiled for the public to see and a vote would take place on the Senate?”

"I know how it is to work through this process in the past," Martinez, a former lawmaker, replied. "And again it's really up to the committee."

Plummer argues not enough residents were heard on the issue before the latest maps were drawn and the situation is only getting worse.

As the congressional redistricting process continues, Republicans suspect Democrats will have one Republican district erased as part of their plan to further cement their control.

Republicans have taken to blasting the process as a “dog and pony show,” accusing Democrats of blocking people from participating in the remote-setting gatherings. They also stressed the online mapmaking portal is “pointless” if people can’t log in to use it.

Republican lawmakers are demanding that Committee Chair Omar Aquino (D-Chicago) reveal who is actually drawing the maps, even as he continues to insist the process has been a transparent one.

State Rep. Steve McClure (R-Springfield) doesn’t see it that way.

“You have to be able to look at the map that they are working with so that you can critique it and present your own ideas instead of blindly having nothing to review,” he said. “And then they’re gonna drop a map, probably hours before we vote on it or the day before, the night before. It’s just not a transparent process and it’s bad for state government.”