As Wisconsin Redistricts, Partisan Gridlock Ensues
By Emmett Nolan
October 2021 Lawmakers in the Wisconsin State Legislature are scheduled to hold a hearing on the legislature's new map proposals for the state’s Assembly and Senate districts on Thursday. The new maps, created by majorities of Republicans in both chambers, will give the GOP a significant advantage in otherwise competitive districts and protect their majorities. According to WPR, these majorities would persist through 2032 and "increase the odds that Republicans will win six out of eight of states' congressional seats." Republicans have had majorities in the legislature since 2011, when new maps created by party officials and lawyers gave them significant advantages in competitive districts. Many of these maps packed cities into a few number of districts, while creating many large rural districts. Democratic governor Tony Evers has created the People’s Map Commission, a nonpartisan group formed last year to devise fair maps for the state. Their 2021 maps, originally released in September and revised last week, have been met with skepticism or outright hostility from state GOP lawmakers. Notably, the commission's maps would maintain Republican majorities while creating fairer and more competitive districts. Evers intends to veto any partisan maps that reach his desk, setting the stage for prolonged court battles. Should the issue of drawing maps make it to the courts, it wouldn't be the first time. Following the 2000 census, congressional legislative plans were issued by the legislature. However, it was found that the legislature failed to pass a state legislative plan, and cases were brought to state and federal courts. The state courts deferred to federal courts, which issued these state plans in May 2002. The Wisconsin State Supreme Court has agreed to take up lawsuits from Republicans regarding the state's redistricting, should the legislature and Governor Evers fail to reach an agreement. The court, with a 4-3 conservative majority, could play a crucial role in the outcome of the new maps. Many have called for federal courts to take up this issue. They cite a precedent of redistricting being handled on the federal level, such as in the case of the 2000 redistricting. In the state court's majority opinion, Justice Rebecca Bradley wrote that "We have a history of letting federal courts handle these matters, perhaps because it removes us from the thicket of political conflicts. Our job, however, is not to avoid controversy but to declare the law." |