“This has nothing to do with redistricting, or to ensure proper representation.
This has nothing to do with advancing sound policy – or creating jobs.
This is the continuation of what we saw last winter — a punitive assault with the only goal of making 50% of Wisconinites’ values and voices extinct.”-WI Dem Chair, Mike Tate
[maps at post's end]
Redistricting maps Republicans have been working on in secrecy for weeks were unveiled to the general public Friday and a lawsuit has already been filed in federal court against them. The maps are just the sort of gamesmanship you’d expect from the people that recently restricted voter access to the polls.
The altered maps protect U.S. Rep Sean Duffy‘s seat in the 7th congressional district and in turn add more Democratic Party votes to U.S. Rep. Ron Kind’s 3rd district. The new maps move Democrat s Nancy Nusbaum and Fred Clark right out of the Senate districts they hope to win in this summer’s recalls. The GOP plans also make Alberta Darling‘s 8th state senate district more Republican. And Democratic Senator Bob Wirch is also pushed out of his district.
Republicans are past the point of convincing you with their ideas, their organization ability, or their slick advertisements. They’re apt to do anything to hold onto power, practically thumbing their noses at democracy. What happens if Republicans can’t keep their power with this tactic? Will they enact a law that requires pistols at dawn with conceal carry handguns to resolve any dispute?
Republicans will meet in another “extraordinary session” next Wendesday at 10AM, where I suspect a gathering of unhappy humanity will greet them. Senate Minority Leader Dem Mark Miller said in a statement: “(Republicans) are now going to convene an extraordinary legislative session to rush a vote on their plan out of fear they will lose their majority when voters render their verdict in the upcoming recall elections,”.-full statement By the way, the taxpayer’s pricetag for the Republican’s secretive map preparations is $300,000 (so far) paid out to Michael Best & Friedrich and the Troupis Law Office.
When does this go into effect? I assume by July 19th. Writers repeat that legislators could do their switcheroo to the newly drawn districts by November 12, but I see no reference anywhere which offers a more specific date or legal obligation to not impinge upon the summer recall vote. This concerns me and I’ll continue to hunt for that clarification (leave a comment if you have that).
Even if the summer elections go through under current maps the newly electeds may have to deal with the new maps shortly thereafter, moving households to new locations.
It’s an anything-goes state thanks to Scott Walker.
What could be done to counteract the maps? Mark Miller stated the redistricting was not constitutional and could be challenged in court. Miller suggests that the lynchpin to the GOP’s moving being unconstitutional is the “unprecedented step of using census blocks instead of municipal wards as the building blocks for legislative districts”. If Dems can prove that the GOP’s move undermines the federal Voting Rights Act and negatively affects minority access to elect a candidate, Dems have a chance in federal court, away from Justice Prosser’s chokehold.
More specifics:
Alberta Darling “Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills) would see her 8th Senate District change significantly, likely becoming far more Republican. As now, the district would include parts of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Washington and Waukesha counties. But it wouldn’t include Shorewood, where the recall movement against her was launched last winter, and which has voted Democratic in recent state and national elections. Also gone: sections of the east side of Milwaukee. What it lost on the east and south, Darling’s district would pick up on the west and north, taking in more of Germantown and Menomonee Falls than it does now, along with Lannon and part of the Town of Lisbon”
Bob Wirch “Now, the 21st Senate District consists of most of Racine County, and the 22nd Senate District consists of most of Kenosha County. Under the proposal, the 21st District would hold the western, Republican-leaning portions of both counties, while the 22nd District would include the city of Kenosha and much of the City of Racine, which have larger Democratic and minority populations.”
Sean Duffy The maps cut “Portage County and eastern Wood County from the 7th District and adds St. Croix County. About 60 percent of voters in Portage and eastern Wood counties went for President Barack Obama in 2008. The Democratic-leaning cities of Portage, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids and Chippewa Falls would all be removed from Duffy’s district, while he would pick up Republican-leaning areas, including Vilas and St. Croix counties.”
Resources:
ARCGIS map of proposed Wisconsin Assembly districts
ARCGIS map of proposed Wisconsin Senate districts
All proposed maps plus population statistics, including minorities.
Wisconsin Bluebook Biography Section Existing WI Congressional districts pg 17, individual state senate maps pgs 20-84. Assembly maps urban pgs 88-98, rural pgs 20-84 (aligned w. senate maps)
Results by county in Wisconsin from Fall 2008 elections.
Results by county, word, etc. for Wisconsin Fall 2010 elections.
Results by county in Wisconsin Supreme Court 2011 (post-recount).
MJS GOP redistricting maps make dramatic changes
Wausau DH Central Wisconsin split by redistricting
Northwestern Republicans release redistricting maps for Wisconsin
Ashland C. Legislators Mull Proposed Redistricting Of Wisconsin
Full Statement from Mike Tate, Chair of WI Democratic Party
Anybody catch this: Challenges to apportionment of congressional and legislative districts; hearing of appeals – This bill requires the supreme court to assign a three−judge panel to hear any matter that seeks to challenge the apportionment of a congressional or legislative district. Under the bill, the supreme court must choose a judge from each of three circuits and designate one circuit as having venue for purposes of hearings and filing documents.
@Me..Just because “they do it too” does not make it right. Was Tex Watson a good man because he wasn’t as evil as Charlie Manson? Most of the issues being touted by the right were brought to us by liberal thinkers in the past.
I’m confused by the point. I’m looking at the ArcGIS maps now (12:35PM on 11 July 2011) and the Kenosha and Racine State Senate districts (where I live) seem to be mostly drawn on county lines, not East & West of the I-94 corridor as you claim. Sure, there’s the strange blocks out in the very western parts of the counties (right by Walworth Co., in the Rochester area and such) but those have been like that for ages. The PDFs bear this out as well.
Am I supposed to be seeing something different? ‘Cause I’m not.
The maps linked to by the state’s redistricting website are the current districts, not the new districts.
In response to “Me” above – we haven’t had single-party rule during redistricting for a long time, and the last set of maps, and I believe the one before that, were created by the courts. So claiming some kind of “they did it too” is simply false. No other party has had a chance to for 30 years, maybe longer. Some Democrats did suggest a more neutral way to approach redistricting, and it was rejected out of hand by the Republicans.
Until now, no one has proposed retroactively changing the statutes to enable the state to build its maps before the cities and counties do. But that is what the Republicans want to do now.
@Me.. Just because “one side did it too”, does not make it right. Was Tex Watson good, just because he was not as bad as Charlie Manson? You sound like a reformed leftist. However most things that the right protects were initiated by the left at its inception. just sayin’
@Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M91wDBM6Krc
I came across a mention that the GOP and Dems never could figure this out the last 3 times. A judicial panel did it for them. Out of curiousity: Which particular safe Dem seat are you referring to?
On viable plans: A viable plan was already floated by Dems and rejected a week or 2 ago. Something like Iowa’s system: http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Redistricting_in_Iowa There are campaigns against Republicans. Now that Republicans see they might lose through a democratic process, they’ve been whining about how it’s all so unfair. Or at least in those sad fund-raising letters I read they did. I’m nowhere near that level of whimper. Frightened of democracy much? Looks like the GOP is frightened enough to try and kill it.
DISGUSTING! SHAME! This is NOT the Wisconsin I grew up in…this is more like Chicago politics where I was born!
A lot of one-sided complaining by Extremist on the Left. Nary a peep when redristricting was done to ensure Democrat safe seats.
Please come up with viable plans to lead that do not include whines and soundbites.
http://www.timesunion.com/opinion/article/Gerrymandering-Not-in-Iowa-1336319.php
Happy?