The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Dec. 25, 2023
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.
Citing over 50 violations of the Wisconsin constitution, the newly-configured Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled December 22nd that the state’s legislative maps must be replaced before the 2024 election.
The state constitution stipulates that a voting district must be “contiguous” – not fragmented. In its 4-3 ruling the court found at least 50 of 99 state assembly districts, and at least 20 of 33 state senate districts violated this mandate. Portions of some districts were detached by one or more separate districts. The court directed the state legislature to draw new constitutional maps, and said it would hire consultants to draw the maps if the legislature did not comply.
Wisconsin’s voting districts are considered by national redistricting experts to be some of the most partisan gerrymandered in the country, largely the work of former Governor Scott Walker, later rewarded with a post to the National Republican Redistricting Trust. The extreme gerrymandering resulted in a 64 to 35 majority in the Wisconsin Assembly, and a 22 to 11 majority in the Senate, despite an evenly divided liberal and conservative electorate.
New maps are not likely to change the majority in the assembly or senate due to the rural geography of much of the state. It IS likely, however, to mitigate the threat of the artificial supermajority created by two decades of partisan map manipulation.
Read the decision at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org, and happy holidays. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
Wisconsin Supreme Court – Decision in Clarke v. Wisconsin Elections Commission
Wisconsin Examiner – Wisconsin Supreme Court rules state voting maps unconstitutional
Reuters – Wisconsin Supreme Court overturns Republican-drawn legislative maps
PBS Wisconsin – Zac Schultz on the Wisconsin Supreme Court ordering new maps
American Redistricting Project – Wisconsin
Groups Taking Action:
Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, Common Cause Wisconsin, Represent.Us WI, Fair Elections Project
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#Democracy #DemocracyNews #FairMaps #EndGerrymandering #WisconsinPolitics