Rock Island Today

Illinois state Rep. Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) argues leaders need to be doing all they can to make sure the current map redistricting comes out right.

“One thing that I think people in our districts and across the state recognize is the bad ethical behavior, and at such a time right now when ethics are in the forefront, here we are going through this map process,” McCombie said in a video on map redistricting posted to YouTube.  “I have to ask what are they hiding and why are they hiding it?”

McCombie argues it all comes at a huge price for Springfield.

“It makes some very untrusting of the process,” she said. “It does not give our voters any confidence in us. Politicians picking their own voters are more likely to consider political wins instead of putting their actual community first.”

McCombie insists she can already see the change.

“Politicians are flip-flopping on their lies to support independent maps and hoping that the voters won’t notice,” she added.  We’re here to give notice.”

McCombie isn’t alone in taking a stance, with members of the Illinois Republican Senate Caucus recently positing videos on YouTube designed to let voters know just what’s at stake.

Due to the delay of federal Census Bureau data largely caused by COVID-19, a bipartisan panel may redraw the maps this year.

While the task normally goes to the party in control, Republican lawmakers are hopeful delays in data being available will open the door to them having a greater say in the process. Bylaws dictate if a new map is not completed by a June 30 deadline, a bipartisan commission with four members from each party chosen by party leaders will supervise redistricting.

Republican lawmakers have long insisted there’s a better way in the form of enacting an independent commission that would determine who handles the job.

“In recent years, Illinois has been under fire for their redistricting process as it creates a system where the legislators in control draw the maps leading to lawmakers choosing their voters rather voters choosing their lawmakers,” the GOP video explains. “This is often referred to as gerrymandering.”

McCombie just knows things can’t stay the same.

“We cannot allow downstate communities, rural communities to be significantly undercounted,” she said. “We know that our neighbors cannot afford the expense of bad policy. We’re here today sounding the alarm on this shady policy of allowing politicians behind closed doors to pick their voters at the expense of the communities we serve."