Madison, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Democrats are closing in Overturning Republican-drawn legislative maps The GOP has used the last 13 years to build their majority and advance their agenda.
There is a problem on the Wisconsin battlefield boundaries State Assembly and Senate districts in a purple state have Republicans firmly in control of the Legislature, even as Democrats control them. Significant achievements at the state level.
Republicans drew the lines in 2011 and Democratic court challenges have so far failed to overturn them. Republican maps adopted in 2022 by the conservative-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court used the 2011 map as a template and largely kept the same lines.
A recent lawsuit by Democrats alleges that the lines drawn by Republicans are unconstitutional because they all The districts were contiguous, meaning that some areas were cut off from the rest of the district. Supreme Court of Wisconsin Agreed in December It also ordered the drawing of new maps for the November elections.
See where things stand now.
What is at stake?
Highly borderline person. When Republicans took majority control following the 2010 election, they were 19-14 in the Senate and 57-38 in the House. After the 2022 election, their majority increased to 22–11 in the Senate and 65–34 in the Assembly.
What is politics?
Democrats filed their latest lawsuit a day after Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz's election victory shifted to majority liberal control in August. His vote made the difference in tossing the Republican map on December 4-3.
What can Republicans do?
Republicans are out of options to prevent the lines from being redrawn. They argued Protasiewicz Do not listen to the case Because he called the maps drawn by the GOP during his campaign “bad” and “unfair.” But she didn't give up on herself. Now Republicans are talking Raising that issue, and others, on appeal to the US Supreme Court violated due process.
What will the new maps look like?
Consultants were hired By the Supreme Court of Wisconsin said Thursday Maps submitted by a Republican legislature and a conservative law firm were gerrymandered. They were not concerned with any of the other four maps drawn by Democrats, but left the question of constitutionality to the Supreme Court.
The Consultants decide The remaining four maps were nearly identical, and changes could be made by them or the court to improve how well each map met certain criteria, including harmony, political balance, and protection of interested communities.
What's next?
REPLY TO CONSULTANTS' REPORT FEB. On the 8th.
In public statements, Democratic Gov. Tony Evers and Democratic lawmakers praised their findings and said Wisconsin is closer than ever to ending Republican gerrymandering. Republicans, meanwhile, He blasted the report Democratic maps are fake and support the “fake subtle fog.”
The court may ask counsel to make amendments to the map or the court may accept one of them Four proposals have already been submitted.
The new maps will come out between Feb. 9 and March 15, the deadline for the Wisconsin Elections Commission to issue new lines for the fall election. The deadline ensures that candidates are aware of district taxes before filing nominations to appear on the ballot.
What about other challenges?
The case continues There were over a dozen states in US House and state legislative districts Enacted after 2020 Census.
There is also a Wisconsin Supreme Court Democrats asked State Congress to Take a Challenge to District Taxes. The suit argues that the court's decision to order new state legislative maps opens the door to challenges to congressional maps. Republicans hold five of the state's eight congressional seats.
