The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for April 6, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
Politico – Liberal judge Janet Protasiewicz won a seat on Wisconsin’s state Supreme Court, flipping the body’s ideological majority.Wisconsin Public Radio – In the political powder keg of 2011, Wisconsin redistricting passed without protest
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – New election data highlights the ongoing impact of 2011 GOP redistricting in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Public Radio – How the 2011 political district map changed the game for Wisconsin
All About Redistricting:  Wisconsin – State Summary Data
Wisconsin Public Radio – Wisconsin Supreme Court chooses maps drawn by Republicans in new redistricting decisionRepublican Eagle – Court change could help proponents of new maps

Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition,  Common Cause Wisconsin, Fair Elections WI,  Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, League of Women Voters WI

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

While the historic arraignment of former President Donald Trump dominated the news April 4th, a historic Supreme Court election in Wisconsin may shift the state’s political landscape – and maybe even Congress.

In a 55% to 45% win, Judge Janet Protasiewicz soundly defeated former Justice Daniel Kelly, shifting the Wisconsin Supreme Court from conservative to liberal.   Her win may have a profound impact on pending issues with the court, most urgently, redistricting. If the state’s badly gerrymandered voting districts can be dismantled and a proper representative state assembly be elected in this almost 50/50 state, it could impact reproductive rights, gun legislation, voting rights and other important issues. 

In 2011, led by Governor Scott Walker & the national Red Map Project, Wisconsin’s legislature gerrymandered state assembly, senate and Congressional maps.  Despite receiving less than 50% of the vote, the 2011 maps engineered a 60 to 39 advantage in the State Assembly, and retained control of the State Senate in 2012. The further gerrymandered 2021 maps resulted in a 64-35 advantage in 2022.  Who upheld the 2021 map previously vetoed by Governor Tony Evers?   The Wisconsin Supreme Court.

It’s not clear whether the Protasiewicz win will have an immediate impact on fair redistricting, or if it will have to wait until 2031.   

We have links to articles, and groups taking action at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.  I’m Brian Beihl.

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Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org

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The post Historic Wisconsin Supreme Court Election Shifts the State Supreme Court & Could Impact Critical Issues – Including Gerrymandering appeared first on American Democracy Minute.

The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Feb. 24, 2023

Today’s Links

Articles & Resources:
New Hampshire House/Legiscan – HB 324 Voter-Owned Elections
Open Democracy Action – One Pager on Small Donor, Voter-Owned Elections
PBS Wisconsin/AP – Protasiewicz, Kelly advance in 2023 Wisconsin Supreme Court primary
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel – Janet Protasiewicz, Daniel Kelly advance in high stakes, high-spending Supreme Court race
Democracy Docket – North Carolina Supreme Court Will Rehear Two Voting Rights Cases With New GOP Majority
Democracy Docket – North Carolina Republicans File Brief in Redistricting Case Being Reheard by State Supreme Court
Slate – Unfortunately, the Biggest Election Case of the Supreme Court Term Could Be Moot
Scotus Blog – Court seems unwilling to embrace broad version of “independent state legislature” theory

Groups Taking Action:
NH – Open Democracy Action,  League of Women Voters NH
WI – Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition,  Groups List of groups supporting fair maps in Wisconsin
NC – Common Cause NC,  League of Conservation Voters NC, Campaign Legal Center

Today’s Script:  (Variations occur with audio due to editing for time)

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping YOUR government by and for the people.

We’re updating breaking Democracy stories we’ve covered recently, ranging from Voter-Owned Elections in New Hampshire, to the Supreme Court elections in Wisconsin and the Moore v. Harper case in North Carolina.

First to New Hampshire, where the state House last week voted down the HB 324 Voter-Owned Election bill, 200 to 163.  The bill would have created an optional small donor “Voter-Dollars” system for funding the state’s gubernatorial and Executive Council races.

On to Wisconsin’s supreme court election, where Tuesday, voters chose one liberal and one conservative to move forward to the general election on April 4th.  Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Janet Protasiewicz, an outspoken critic of gerrymandered maps approved by the current court, was the top vote-getter at 46%.  She was followed by former state Supreme Court Justice Daniel Kelly at 24%.   Should Wisconsin’s gerrymandered maps be overturned, it could have a dramatic impact on the makeup of the state’s legislature & Congressional seats.

In the North Carolina Supreme Court, March 14th has been set to rehear the Harper v. Hall Congressional district gerrymandering case.  The highly-irregular rehearing caused a sitting justice to call it a “display of raw partisanship.  The case spawned the Moore v. Harper “independent state legislature” case in the U.S. Supreme Court.  A new North Carolina court may overturn the earlier decision striking down the maps, but it’s unclear whether Moore v. Harper will rendered moot. 

We have more details at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org.   I’m Brian Beihl.

The post <strong>Democracy News Updates from New Hampshire, Wisconsin & North Carolina</strong> appeared first on American Democracy Minute.