SPRINGFIELD — Don't get too excited about those new legislative district maps posted this week by Illinois Senate and House Democrats, cautions state Sen. Dale Righter, R-Charleston.

"There's a lot of consternation now, but chances are this is not the final map," said Righter, the No. 2 Republican leader in the Senate.

Still, talk of the new map has some area Republican legislators looking at options, including incumbent state representatives moving up to the Senate or running in new representative districts.

"Even though we've been talking about redistricting for a long time, it's still pretty early in the game," said Righter. "The early indication we have is that there are a number of flaws in this map, particularly in the Chicago area, with regards to the state and federal voting rights act requirements.

"Ten years ago the Democrats put out one map, waited a few days and then they put out another map that had substantial changes to it, including in downstate districts. So everyone, whether they're involved in the political process or not, needs to take a deep breath and recognize that this thing is very much drawn in pencil now."

A week from now will be a different story, he said.

"Then you won't be able to say that because the Democrats, assuming they want to draw the map without Republican input, will need to have that thing wrapped up and signed into law by May 31st," Righter said.

Whether the Senate district map unveiled Thursday by Democrats is real or stealth, Righter said the process is still wrong.

"It was done in a closed-door fashion where it's not open to public scrutiny, where they don't have anyone saying, 'Hey, why are you drawing those lines the way you're drawing them?' That's the reason we've argued for a different process. This map is probably the best evidence we've seen for a change in the process."

The proposed map puts Righter in what he called "a radically different Senate district." He currently represents the 55th District that stretches from southwest Champaign County on the north to Mount Carmel on the south. It includes all or parts of 12 counties, with Coles County in the center.

But the new 55th District has Coles County on its north side and stretches south to White County, virtually to the Ohio River. It includes all or parts of 13 counties.

"Whether I could live with it, I don't know. I haven't dug in on those issues substantively because I'm not certain this is real," Righter added.

He'll be in Chicago today (Saturday) for a public hearing on the map that he contends may not be real.

"With all the promises of sunshine and transparency, look at what they're doing," he said.

House Minority Leader Tom Cross, R-Oswego, voiced a similar sentiment.

"It is disingenuous for the House Democrats to release this map late in the afternoon on a Friday with very limited access to demographic data and an analysis that explains why they drew the boundaries where they did," he said. "How can the residents of our state have time to access the information (online or by written request), digest it and be prepared to testify at a hearing in Chicago on Sunday afternoon?"

A House map was posted Friday morning, then withdrawn and reposted Friday afternoon. It showed state Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-Urbana, in a district that appeared similar to her current district except that it included virtually all of Champaign but for a small section west of Interstate 57 between Kirby Avenue and Windsor Road. Her current district takes in some areas outside of Champaign-Urbana but excludes portions of more Republican southwest Champaign.

Some areas south and east of Champaign-Urbana, plus all of northeast Champaign County and much of southern Vermilion County would be in the House district now represented by Rep. Chad Hays, R-Catlin.

But much of southeast Champaign County now in Hays' House district and Sen. Mike Frerichs' Senate district would move into a new 51st Senate District that currently has no state senator and in a sprawling 102nd House District that stretches southwest of Lake Shelbyville and currently has no representative.

Frerichs declined to comment on the proposed map that shows him losing St. Joseph, Ogden, Homer, Philo, Sidney and the rest of southeast Champaign County, but gaining that part of southwest Champaign.

The proposed 101st House District, west and northwest of Champaign-Urbana, includes the homes of Republican representatives Chapin Rose of Mahomet, Jason Barickman of Champaign and Bill Mitchell of Forsyth.

Barickman said Friday that the proposed maps give him options that could include moving north into a new district that incorporates parts of his current House district and the Livingston County area where he grew up.

Rose also has options, he said, including running for the 51st District Senate seat.

"This is very early but if this map holds, I've already talked to a majority of the county chairmen in the proposed district and many other citizens," he said.

Under that scenario, Mitchell could run for the 102nd House seat.