SCOTUS Decision to Postpone New State Election Maps is Disappointing News for Wisconsin Voters

MILWAUKEE, WIS. – The U.S. Supreme Court decided on Monday to stay the order by federal judges that required Wisconsin to redraw its unconstitutional voting maps by this November. The stay means that even if the people ultimately win the Gill v Whitford court case in the U.S. Supreme Court, it will be tougher to have fair maps in place by the 2018 election.

“Candidates need time to prepare and campaign within their districts. We hope this case will be decided quickly, otherwise we could be facing another unfair election in 2018,” responded Robert Kraig, Executive Director of Citizen Action, which has been leading a statewide campaign for redistricting reform. “But we are not deterred. Our members are more committed than ever to fight for fair maps.”

In January, a federal trial panel ordered Wisconsin to redraw its election maps by November 2017 following the landmark decision last fall that Wisconsin’s legislative districts were an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. Attorney General Schimel appealed both the ruling and the order to redraw the maps. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide on the Gill v Whitford case within the year.

GREEN BAY - With the Supreme Court’s decision to take up Wisconsin’ redistricting case, the Court has the opportunity to correct a part of our electoral process that has opened the door to election rigging here in Wisconsin and across the country.

Wisconsin Republicans rigged the electoral map so profoundly that two federal courts have ruled it unconstitutional saying the Republican effort “intended to burden the representational rights of Democratic voters...by impeding their ability to translate their votes into legislative seats.

"Republicans can argue that rigging the maps is legal, but anyone who believes in a truly representative democracy knows it is not right," said Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) in a statement released today. "Voters have a right to expect fair and competitive elections. And the health of our system of government depends on it."

Our democracy works best when we have fair and competitive elections. Regardless of how the court decides this case. it is time to take partisan politics out of redistricting and adopt a non-partisan process that voters can be confident in.

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Legislative writer Jay Wadd contributed this story.

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