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Legislative map changes, SCOWIS to hear case
The Wisconsin Senate hosted a public hearing on a Republican bill to change how the state's legislative maps are drawn, ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing a case trying to toss the state's current legislative maps ahead of the 2024 election.
MILWAUKEE - The Wisconsin Senate hosted a public hearing on a Republican bill to change how the state's legislative maps are drawn, ahead of the Wisconsin Supreme Court hearing a case trying to toss the state's current legislative maps ahead of the 2024 election.
"This is our opportunity to get ahead of that, to amend the process, so that we can avoid that litigation, the time and the cost involved," said State Sen. Dan Knodl (R-Germantown).
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Republicans introduced a bill to hand map-making power to the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau. The Legislature would then have the power only to vote yes or no, needing it to be a bipartisan vote, then sending it to the governor's desk.
There are questions about what happens when the legislature and governor can't agree. The bill states: "No plan may be considered and voted on after January 31 of the 2nd year following the federal decennial census."
"Nothing in this bill, as I understand it, guarantees that the current map would not be used in 2024, if this process failed to produce new maps," said State Sen. Mark Spreitzer (D-Beloit). "As we discussed, there could still be a stalemate under this. Nothing here forces the Legislature to approve a new map. Nothing forces the governor to sign that map."
Wisconsin Supreme Court
"My understanding is if we reach an impasse by the end of January, then it would end up in the courts," said State Rep. Joel Kitchens (R -Sturgeon Bay).
An analyst with the Legislative Reference Bureau, speaking at a Senate committee meeting, responded to Kitchens, affirming he thought a stalemate would end in the courts. "At some point in the spring of 2024, if you can’t come to a resolution and if the court can’t come to a resolution by mid-March or so, there is a possibility that it’s too late to implement a new map."
The Wisconsin Senate on Thursday heard public testimony on the proposal. Speaker after speaker was opposed to the Republican bill.
The Assembly already passed, days after introducing it and without a hearing.
The Republican proposal would have the map-makers not favor a political party, someone or a group. It calls for making the districts compact and keeping municipalities together.
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The 2020 census put Wisconsin at 5.8 million people. Divvied up into 99 Assembly districts, each should have roughly 59,000 people. One place that would likely be changing under the GOP proposal is Sheboygan. Right now, its population is 49,000 – or enough to get into one district; however, it is currently split into two, both extending out to neighboring communities. Republicans represent both districts in a city that votes majority Democratic.
Right now, Republicans have nearly a supermajority of the Wisconsin Legislature in a state where elections are usually razor-thin. Marquette University researcher John Johnson told FOX6 News last month the new maps under this GOP proposal would likely still favor Republicans.
Wisconsin Legislative map
"If you drew 99 seats, focusing on making them compact, following municipal boundaries, these kinds of criteria, you would still have a Republican advantage in a 50-50 year, but it would be smaller than the advantage that they currently have," he said. "Maybe more importantly, there would be a lot more competitive seats."
The lawsuit challenging the current maps asks that every seat be up for new elections in 2024, even those lawmakers whose terms are supposed to extend through 2026. The plaintiffs filed the case right after the court flipped to liberal control.