Barickman says his constituents are ‘frustrated they have no choices at the ballot box’

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Barickman says his constituents are ‘frustrated they have no choices at the ballot box’ – State Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) recently took to the chamber floor to make sure all his colleagues were well aware of what they are voting for with map redistricting.

“This is quite possibly the most important issue this body will face in a decade,” Barickman said in a video posted to YouTube. “The choices that Illinoisans are given in the General Election will be determined by the vote we are about to cast.”

While the once-every-decade task of drawing maps typically falls to the party in charge, Barickman is among the Republican lawmakers pushing Senate Bill 1325 known as the People’s Independent Maps Act as a much fairer and equitable pathway.

“What comes with choices in government is accountability, accountability to solve problems and to work together,” he said. “I’m sure I’m not alone in hearing from my constituents that they’re frustrated they have no choices at the ballot box and they wish Illinois legislators were more accountable to the people they’re supposed to serve.”

At all the redistricting hearings leading up to this moment, Barickman charges the tone was always the same.

“There was an ongoing theme that those hearings lacked transparency and that witnesses had difficulty participating in them,” he said. “That all culminated in this morning, with legislation being filed in the cloud of night.”

Barickman said voters agree the time has come for changes to the system.

“Witnesses say this is what’s wrong with this state,” he said. “Politicians drawing maps, politicians picking their own voters rather than voters picking reps they wish to choose to represent them.”

SB 1325 would take the job of map drawing completely out of the hands of politicians and pave the way for the Illinois Supreme Court to appoint a committee of 16 residents to handle the job.

Barickman says his constituents are ‘frustrated they have no choices at the ballot box’

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