With a Stroke of a Pen, Wisconsin's Elections Maps Saga Could be Over

Friday, February 16th, 2024 -- 10:01 AM

(Rich Kremer, Wisconsin Public Radio) With the stroke of a pen, more than a decade of legal battles over Wisconsin’s Republican-drawn legislative maps could be over.

Or the maps saga could be headed back to court. According to Rich Kremer with Wisconsin Public Radio, the decision over what Wisconsin’s political maps will look like for the remainder of this decade now rests firmly in the hands of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, after a Legislature led by Republicans passed a set of maps the governor’s office drew.

It has Evers’ allies offering competing advice, with Democratic lawmakers urging the governor to hold out for better and groups that have long pushed for “fair maps” celebrating what they say should be a monumental deal.

The change in Wisconsin’s political landscape has been in the works since last year, when liberals captured a majority on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and rule the current GOP maps are unconstitutional.

The court ordered parties to the case to draw replacement maps, but Republicans in the state Legislature flipped the script Tuesday, when they quickly introduced and passed voting maps that were identical to the ones submitted to the court by Evers.

Redistricting experts hired by the court say Evers’ maps are “tilted toward Republicans” but are competitive enough that “the party that wins the most votes will win the most seats.”

Republican lawmakers, like Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, and Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, described the governor’s maps as the best option among the proposals being considered by the Supreme Court, some of which are slightly more favorable to Democrats.

Vos said he’s confident Republicans can be competitive under the maps, but conceded Tuesday “the Legislature will be up for grabs.” Evers had previously said that if the Legislature passes his maps without changes, he would sign them, but as of Wednesday afternoon he hadn’t taken action.

Hours after the maps passed the Legislature, a coalition of groups that includes the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign came out in support of the maps, as did Common Cause in Wisconsin.

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