Chambana Sun

State Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) asserted that the Democrats engaged in gerrymandering and political corruption when they crafted new district maps that the Illinois House of Representatives approved late last month.

The Daily Chronicle reported that the state House approved the newly drawn maps 73-43 along party lines, a move Caulkins and his fellow Republicans have heavily criticized.

 "Ever wonder what gerrymandering looks like? What  corruption in politics looks like? In order to keep power in Springfield, Democrats are choosing their voters in Macon and Sangamon countries. Instead of giving Macon County the representation it deserves, we will have FOUR different reps in an attempt to keep State Rep Sue Scherer safe. This district continues to look like Mike Madigan's old maps that he drew to keep him in power. See the rest of the newly proposed map from the Democrats: https://bit.ly/3yuNDQJ. You should be able to choose your politicians, not the other way around. This is pathetic," Caulkins wrote on Facebook.

The Illinois GOP was not alone in its frustration with the maps.

The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a Latino civil rights organization, pursued legal action earlier this year on grounds the maps were based on data from the American Community Survey and not the 2020 census, the Daily Chronicle reported.