Hansen Introduces Redistricting Reform Bill Print
News
Written by Wisconsin Senate, Jay Wadd   
Tuesday, 16 July 2019 12:29

hansen-gb-rallyBi-partisan Bill to Create Non-Partisan Redistricting Process, Number of Republican sponsors triples


MADISON - State Senator Dave Hansen (D-Green Bay) was joined at a press conference today by activists and supporters to announce the introduction of legislation that would create a non-partisan redistricting process.

Hansen was joined by Representative Robyn Vining (D - Wauwatosa) Matt Rothschild, Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign; Erin Grunze, Executive Director of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin; former state senator and Chairman of Common Cause Wisconsin, former senator Tim Cullen; and Sachin Cheda, Director of the Fair Elections Project along with dozens of activists from around the state.

dave-hansen-press-conf“We are here today to continue the fight for fair, competitive elections,” said Hansen. “And I am pleased to say that we have added two more Republican sponsors from the Assembly. It shows that public pressure works. And we’re going to need to keep the pressure on in light of the recent Supreme Court decision.”

During the course of the redistricting debate and court case it became obvious that Republicans drew the maps to give themselves an unfair advantage in our legislative elections. And election results have borne that out as well. However, the Republican-controlled U.S. Supreme Court chose not to get involved in the issue of redistricting leaving it to the states to decide.

wi-capitol-dome“It’s up to us to continue our efforts to make non-partisan redistricting the law of the land here in Wisconsin," said Hansen.  "We can no longer count on anyone else to do it for us. If we want fair and competitive elections we all must do the work, reaching out to our families, friends and neighbors and get them involved--and use the growing support for non-partisan redistricting to convince even more Republicans here in Madison to join us and support our legislation."

Polls show 72% of voters statewide support non-partisan redistricting. Forty-eight counties have passed resolutions supporting our effort. And in eight more counties voters approved referendums in support. County Boards in 32 of the 33 State Senate districts and in 91 of the 99 Assembly districts have now passed resolutions in support of this non-partisan redistricting proposal, so support for ending partisan gerrymandering comes from all over the state -- in "red" counties as well as in "blue" counties.

“It’s past time for both sides to come together and do the right thing: pass a non-partisan redistricting law that will give the people of this state the type of elections they deserve: fair, transparent and competitive,” Hansen concludes.

The legislation has been introduced as Senate Bill 288 and Assembly Bill 303.