The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 17, 2024
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.
Seven sets of state legislative maps were submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court January 12th, ranging from a Republican-dominated status quo, to competitive.
In December, a newly-configured Wisconsin Supreme Court found the Assembly and Senate voting district maps were not “contiguous” and therefore unconstitutional. It ordered new maps to be adopted by March 15th.
An analysis of the newly submitted maps by John Johnson of Marquette University Law School found that all were contiguous, per the state constitution, and that majority-minority districts met federal 1965 Voting Rights Act requirements.
The biggest differences in the submissions were in competitive partisan balance. Johnson measured the balance using past voting patterns for the towns in those districts. He found the Republican legislators’ submission maintained its artificial 64-35 Assembly majority, and it would take a statewide winning margin of 16.3% for Democrats to take control of the Assembly. Law Forward, the law firm which brought the case, submitted highly competitive maps where a margin of 3.3% could reduce the GOP advantage in the Assembly to 50 Republican seats to 49 Democratic seats. Other maps included Governor Tony Evers’ 5.3% map, and a conservative law group’s at 13.2%.
Two outside consultants hired by the court to evaluate the maps must submit their analysis by February 1st. We have a link to the Marquette University analysis of all the maps at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
American Democracy Minute – Wisconsin Supreme Court Puts State Legislature’s Maps on Naughty List, Orders Legislature to Draw Constitutional Voting Districts
Wisconsin Public Radio – Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns Republican-drawn legislative maps
Wisconsin PBS/AP – Republican dominance reduced in most redistricting maps submitted to Wisconsin Supreme Court
John Johnson, Marquette University Law School – Analysis of Proposed Legislative Redistricting Plans submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court
Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Common Cause Wisconsin, Represent.Us WI, Fair Elections Project
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #StopGerrymandering #Wisconsin Politics