Will Releases Statement on Redistricting Ruling
The News: The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) has released a statement condemning a new ruling from the Supreme Court of Wisconsin in favor of a lawsuit seeking to change Wisconsin’s Legislative Districts. WILL sees this lawsuit as an attempt to relitigate issues resolved just a year and a half ago – utilizing a new ‘left of center’ majority on the state’s highest Court.
The Quotes: Rick Esenberg, WILL President and General Counsel, stated, “Petitioners used a trojan horse – municipal islands that have existed for decades, affect very few voters and could not be the cause of any alleged partisan bias, to upend maps that the Court approved in 2022. We now face a truncated process in which the parties must submit new maps and comment on those submitted by others and address an undefined standard called ‘partisan fairness.’ This is an unusual episode but WILL will strive to ensure that whatever emerges from the process will both comport with the law and Wisconsin’s political geography, as the Constitution requires, rather than a gerrymander for a partisan outcome.”
WILL intervened on behalf of voters from multiple state senate districts who would see their vote disenfranchised if the Court grants the remedy sought by the lawsuit.
WILL has been on the forefront of litigation regarding legislative boundaries in Wisconsin. In August of 2021, WILL filed an original action in Johnson v. Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC), asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to update the legislative districts to address population changes, given that the Legislature and Governor were unable to agree on new maps. WILL successfully argued that the Wisconsin Supreme Court should make the “least changes” possible to update the maps, to prevent the Court from getting embroiled in partisan considerations. And, when maps proposed by Governor Evers violated the federal law, we successfully petitioned to the Supreme Court of the United States.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Gerrymandering of Legislative Districts
- Without Gerrymander, Democrats Flip 14 Legislative Seats - Jack Kelly, Hallie Claflin and Matthew DeFour - Nov 8th, 2024
- Op Ed: Democrats Optimistic About New Voting Maps - Ruth Conniff - Feb 27th, 2024
- The State of Politics: Parties Seek New Candidates in New Districts - Steven Walters - Feb 26th, 2024
- Rep. Myers Issues Statement Regarding Fair Legislative Maps - State Rep. LaKeshia Myers - Feb 19th, 2024
- Statement on Legislative Maps Being Signed into Law - Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos - Feb 19th, 2024
- Pocan Reacts to Newly Signed Wisconsin Legislative Maps - U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan - Feb 19th, 2024
- Evers Signs Legislative Maps Into Law, Ending Court Fight - Rich Kremer - Feb 19th, 2024
- Senator Hesselbein Statement: After More than a Decade of Political Gerrymanders, Fair Maps are Signed into Law in Wisconsin - Dianne Hesselbein - Feb 19th, 2024
- Wisconsin Democrats on Enactment of New Legislative Maps - Democratic Party of Wisconsin - Feb 19th, 2024
- Governor Evers Signs New Legislative Maps to Replace Unconstitutional GOP Maps - A Better Wisconsin Together - Feb 19th, 2024
Read more about Gerrymandering of Legislative Districts here
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Apr 7th, 2023 by Wisconsin Institute for Law & LibertyLawsuit is a part of WILL’s Preserving Democracy Project