DIXON – State Senator Li Arellano Jr, (R-Dixon) is condemning Governor JB Pritzker’s hypocritical actions and rhetoric over the redistricting efforts of other states, accusing the governor of political double standards and broken promises.
“First, no government should be gerrymandering its political maps. Gerrymandering is an unethical process that undermines the power of the people to choose their own leaders, thus subverting the true representation that is foundational to our state governments,” Arellano said. “Governor Pritzker has no ground to stand on when talking about gerrymandering. He campaigned on delivering fair maps for Illinois, then turned around and signed his name to some of the most blatantly rigged maps in the country. He lied to voters—plain and simple.”
Senator Arellano criticized the governor for attacking states like Texas over their redistricting methods. While the governor welcomes Texas Democrats who are in Illinois to avoid a redistricting vote in their own state, Illinois itself holds an “F” rating for its own partisan voter suppression.
The worst part: while Illinois grapples with its own gerrymandering, Governor Pritzker is busy discussing the very same issue on a national stage instead of addressing it here at home.
“As I came into my position as state senator, I always maintained that transparency and accountability remain at the center of my work. I will call out others in this state, including governors, when they tarnish those principles—especially when they have violated our Illinois Constitution,” Arellano said. “Our governor pledged to veto partisan maps, then hypocritically signed off on them, and now flip flops back to calling it ‘cheating.’ He broke his promise then, and continues to put politics, including national politics, before what Illinois needs—and what the Illinois Constitution demands. To use his own word: Governor Pritzker is cheating Illinoisans out of their voice every election cycle.”