Illinois Republican leaders filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday challenging new legislative district boundaries that were drawn and approved by Democrats who control state government, saying residents were “robbed” of a fair and transparent process for creating maps that will be used for elections over the next decade.

Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation last week establishing the new maps, despite pledging as a candidate that he would veto any maps drawn by politicians. Pritzker said the new maps help ensure minority representation and align with the federal and state Voting Rights Acts.

The latest draft of an Illinois energy regulatory overhaul bill calls for closing Prairie State Energy Campus and other coal-fired plants within 14 years, but negotiations on the proposal were expected to continue this weekend ahead of a vote by state lawmakers next week.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office distributed an outline of the bill, along with a draft of an 866-page amendment, to members of the working group late Thursday.

Public defenders across Illinois are struggling with excessive caseloads and a lack of independence that is negatively affecting their clients, according to a new study commissioned by the Illinois Supreme Court.

The study, which was released Tuesday, examined public defense in nine counties across the state. In all nine counties, which varied in population and demographics, public defenders lacked the necessary resources to provide the quality of representation required by the U.S. Constitution, the study found.