Wisconsin GOP Approves Governor’s Maps, Avoiding Court

In a surprising move, Wisconsin’s majority-Republican state legislature voted on Tuesday to adopt new legislative maps proposed by the state’s Democratic governor, Tony Evers. The decision, aimed at countering gerrymandering, comes amid an ongoing legal battle and a looming threat of court-drawn maps. Both the GOP-led Senate and Assembly approved the new maps, which were drafted by Governor Evers, in an effort to stave off a potential decision by the state’s liberal Supreme Court that Republicans fear could heavily favor Democratic control.

The need for new maps arose after Wisconsin’s highest court ordered lawmakers to redraw the state’s legislative boundaries by the 2024 election. Failure to do so would result in the court imposing its own remedial maps. Currently, Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of the state legislature, with a 22-10 supermajority in the Senate and a 64-35 majority in the state Assembly. Despite this, Wisconsin remains a coveted swing state in recent presidential elections, with margins as slim as fewer than 23,000 votes making the difference in four of the last six races.

State Democrats, however, expressed concerns about the new maps, particularly regarding the timing of their implementation. The maps are set to come into effect in November, rather than immediately. Nevertheless, Governor Evers is expected to sign the maps into law.

If signed into law, Evers’ maps would still give Republicans a narrow advantage over Democrats in retaining their majority in the state house, according to Marquette University public policy researcher John Johnson. This outcome reflects the delicate balance of power in Wisconsin’s political landscape.

The adoption of the new maps marks the latest chapter in a saga over gerrymandering in the state. The issue stemmed from a lawsuit filed in August by a group of Democratic voters who claimed that the majority of Wisconsin’s districts violate a provision of the state’s constitution requiring all districts to be contiguous. It was found that 50 of the state’s 99 Assembly districts and nearly two-thirds of its Senate districts did not meet that standard. In December, Wisconsin’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, ordering state lawmakers to redraw the legislative maps before the 2024 election. State Supreme Court Justice Jill Karofsky argued that the old maps “contain separate, detached territory,” leading to the court’s decision.

Wisconsin is not alone in facing challenges related to legislative maps. Last year, a pair of congressional maps drafted by Alabama’s GOP-led legislature were struck down by a panel of federal judges. The judges ruled that the maps diluted Black votes and violated protections guaranteed under the Voting Rights Act. The Supreme Court had previously struck down lawmakers’ first attempt, calling the maps racial gerrymandering. As a result, federal judges selected another map for Alabama drawn by a court-appointed expert for the 2024 elections. Similarly, lawmakers in Georgia were ordered last year to redraw the state’s congressional maps after a federal judge ruled that the old maps discriminated against minority voters.

The approval of new legislative maps in Wisconsin highlights the ongoing challenges and controversies surrounding redistricting and gerrymandering across the United States. As states continue to grapple with these issues, the impact on political representation and the democratic process remains a subject of intense debate and scrutiny.