The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 6, 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.
March 1st, the Wisconsin Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the state’s Congressional districts, after throwing out state assembly and senate maps as unconstitutional late last year.
Challengers said under the court’s clarified redistricting criteria, the Congressional map should be reviewed, given that the GOP won 6 of 8 Congressional seats with only 50% of the statewide vote.
The partisan balance of the court shifted last year with the election of Justice Janet Protasiewicz, who was outspoken in her campaign about Wisconsin’s gerrymandered maps. Unlike the state legislative maps though, Protasiewicz did not participate in the Congressional district decision.
From Conservative justices who sat on the previous court upholding over a decade of manipulated maps came a snarky concurrence from Justice Rebecca Bradley and Chief Justice Annette Ziegler. QUOTE “The new majority’s reckless abandonment of settled legal precedent in Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission . . . incentivizes litigants to bring politically divisive cases to this court regardless of their legal merit. While the court rightfully denies this motion, it likely won’t be long until the new majority flexes its political power again to advance a partisan agenda despite the damage inflicted on the independence and integrity of the court,” the concurrence said.
The court’s decision to decline the case does not rule out challenges after the 2024 election.
We have more on Wisconsin’s fight for fair maps at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Princeton Gerrymandering Project – Wisconsin Congress Districts – F Grade
Wisconsin Public Radio – Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns Republican-drawn legislative maps
Milwaukee Sentinel – Tony Evers urges Wisconsin Supreme Court to reconsider congressional maps
Democracy Docket – Wisconsin Voters Mount Renewed Challenge to Congressional Map in State Supreme Court
Wisconsin Examiner – Wisconsin Supreme Court declines to hear congressional maps challenge
Wisconsin Supreme Court – Order for Johnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
Politico – Wisconsin Supreme Court rejects Democrats’ congressional redistricting challenge
Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, League of Women Voters WI, Common Cause WI
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