NPR’s Juana Summers speaks with J.B. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, about internet hosting a bunch of Texas state lawmakers as they protest a partisan redistricting effort of their state.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
There’s a struggle that began in Texas and is now being fought across the nation. Greater than 50 Democratic members of the Texas state Home left their state on Sunday as a result of the Republican majority legislature directed by a Republican governor and publicly pressured by a Republican president has redrawn its congressional map with the intention of netting 5 extra Republican seats within the U.S. Home of Representatives. However they can’t vote to move this new map and not using a quorum.
Now, in response, each blue states and purple states are overtly speaking about launching their very own partisan redistricting efforts, whereas the Texas Democrats have been staying in Democratic-led states like Massachusetts, New York and Illinois. In one other a part of immediately’s program, we converse with a Republican within the Texas state legislature, however right here we have reached Illinois’ Democratic governor, JB Pritzker. Governor, welcome to this system.
JB PRITZKER: How are you, Juana?
SUMMERS: I am properly. Thanks for becoming a member of us. Governor, you invited these Texas Democrats to your state. Inform us why.
PRITZKER: Certain did. Effectively, we’re honored to host them right here. And albeit, their braveness, their dedication to serving and defending the rights of Texans and the rights of all Individuals impressed us. And I spoke with them weeks in the past as a result of this, we thought, can be an actual chance, that they’d have to go away to interrupt a quorum. And certainly, that is what’s occurred.
SUMMERS: Effectively, let me ask you this, governor. These lawmakers are incurring a $500-a-day effective every single day that they continue to be outdoors the state of Texas for lacking official enterprise. You had been supportive of those lawmakers, however are you footing the invoice?
PRITZKER: We’re not footing the invoice. They’re taking good care of that themselves. However they’ve left behind their households and their communities, their jobs to guard the voting rights of individuals all throughout the nation, and we’re very happy with that reality. It’s ridiculous that they are being fined, and naturally, now they’re being threatened with imprisonment by the officers in Texas. And as you realize…
SUMMERS: Yeah.
PRITZKER: …John Cornyn and Ken Paxton and Greg Abbott, you realize, they’re all preventing with each other, proving that that is actually all about politics.
SUMMERS: Let me bounce in right here and ask you about that, if I can. Texas Senator John Cornyn, the state’s senior senator, has referred to as on the FBI to apprehend these state lawmakers. President Trump was requested about this, and he stated that the FBI – and I am quoting right here – “could must” get entangled. What if federal regulation enforcement present up in your state of Illinois?
PRITZKER: There aren’t any federal legal guidelines concerned right here, so that is only a menace, an empty menace. You realize, they assume they’ll intimidate these lawmakers into going again residence. They haven’t any plans to return residence till they know that there is going to be a good course of to ship emergency funding for the victims of the floods and never make it about redistricting.
SUMMERS: Texas Republicans additionally name for the removing from workplace. Do you concern, Governor Pritzker, that this tactic might backfire on the Democrats?
PRITZKER: You realize, that is straight out of the authoritarian playbook. They’ve tossed all the foundations out. They’re torching each norm. They’ve proven us that they’re going to cease at nothing to offer themselves absolute energy. And Democrats – properly, we’re standing up. We’re displaying them that we’re not going to offer in.
SUMMERS: Governor Pritzker, I wish to ask you about your state. Republicans level to the info that President Trump gained the state of Illinois – 43- or 44% of your state’s voters, however Republicans occupy simply 3 of 17 home seats there, which is below 18%. So assist us perceive – what’s the distinction between the best way your state has drawn its congressional map and the best way that Republicans in Texas say they wish to draw theirs?
PRITZKER: We drew our maps proper after the decennial census. That is when the maps get drawn in each state. Right here, in fact, the Texas Republicans wish to midstream as a result of Donald Trump requested them to do it and so they’re all following their cult chief. They’re aspiring to make modifications to that redistricting. However this usually occurs proper after the decennial map. In Illinois, we did the exact same factor. By the best way, we adopted the Voting Rights Act. We did that once we handed our map again in 2021. Texas Republicans now do not wish to comply with that, and they will disenfranchise Black and brown…
SUMMERS: Let me…
PRITZKER: …Voters. That is how they intend to get this completed.
SUMMERS: I simply wish to bounce in right here. I imply, the Supreme Court docket did resolve again in 2019 that partisan gerrymandering claims are past the attain of federal courts. However I – the query just isn’t about constitutionality. The query that faces Texas, and the one which I wish to ask you, is has redistricting resulted in truthful illustration for the minority celebration in your state?
PRITZKER: You realize, simply since you’ve bought extra Democrats than Republicans elected does not imply that it is an unfair map. The very fact of the matter is that there have been aggressive elections in 2022, which is the primary election we had after the map was drawn, and Democrats gained these seats. Moreover, I’d simply level out that, you realize, these similar Republicans who’re complaining about the best way maps are drawn in Democratic states, they’re those drawing maps of their states which might be fairly unfair.
It is not the case, although, let’s be clear, that simply because you’ve got extra of 1 celebration than one other in a state that that is an unfair map. And in Illinois, Republicans have each alternative to run for and win workplace. They do not win right here as a result of their concepts are unhealthy. And by the best way, they’re about to lose elections in 2026 due to the large, ugly invoice, due to the insurance policies of Donald Trump, and so they’re attempting to vary the sport. Certainly, they’re attempting to cheat midstream.
SUMMERS: The White Home is pushing extra redistricting in these Republican-led states. There is a assembly tomorrow between Vice President JD Vance and leaders of your neighboring state of Indiana. Workplace holders in California and New York are speaking about countering with a Democratic-led redistricting effort. So simply play this out for me right here. Does this escalate indefinitely between purple states and blue states or do you see an eventual off ramp or some type of decision?
PRITZKER: Effectively, you may see what Donald Trump has dropped at this nation now as president. We’re solely seven months in, and already you are seeing that states are, you realize, primarily having to ratchet up responses to what Donald Trump is doing in Republican states. So Democratic states – look, none of us wish to do it. None of us needed to undergo a redistricting course of. But when we’re pressured to, it is one thing that we’ll take into account doing.
SUMMERS: Governor Pritzker, earlier than I allow you to go, I do must ask. I do know that you’re working for a 3rd time period as governor in 2026, however I’ll ask, are you contemplating working for president?
PRITZKER: I am targeted on the state of Illinois, and I’ve at all times been that. No matter I do sooner or later is at all times going to be about first contemplating what’s greatest for my state.
SUMMERS: JB Pritzker is the governor of Illinois. Governor, thanks a lot.
PRITZKER: Thanks, Juana.
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