Batinick criticizes Pritzker for not keeping word on fair legislative district maps

State Rep. Mark Batinick joined his Republican colleagues in slamming Gov. JB Pritzker, accusing him of reversing his position on supporting an independent redrawing of legislative district maps.

This week, Batinick, R-Plainfield, posted a link on Facebook to a petition asking residents to also demand Pritzker “be held accountable for his promise to the people of Illinois to only sign maps drawn by an independent commission.”

“Sign the petition to hold Governor Pritzker accountable to his promise for fair maps in Illinois,” Batinick wrote on the Facebook post.

Illinois House Republicans pointed to quotes from Pritzker when he was a candidate for governor in which he pledged to veto redistricting maps drawn by legislators and called for an independent commission to draw them.

The GOP attacks also came after Pritzker recently appeared to backtrack on the pledge. The state legislature is in charge of redrawing Congressional and legislative district maps every 10 years after the U.S. Census count.

Democrats have large majorities in Illinois General Assembly, so Republicans have little say in the process. They’ve accused Democrats of gerrymandering districts to give themselves an electoral advantage.