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WDC Director to Speak on Legislative Maps

Matt Rothschild, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, will speak on gerrymandering Nov. 13, 6:30 pm, at the Kress Pavilion in Egg Harbor. 

Many observers consider the partisan drawing of legislative maps to be a chief cause of the hyper-partisan nature of Wisconsin and national politics. Opponents of the practice favor putting legislative maps into the hands of nonpartisan commissions rather than the hands of the legislature’s ruling party. In November, four states held referenda on the matter and voted overwhelmingly in support of establishing nonpartisan redistricting commissions, bringing the number of states that have now established nonpartisan commissions to 20.

A January 2019 Marquette Law School survey found that 72 percent of Wisconsinites prefer having a nonpartisan commission. Door County’s Board of Supervisors unanimously passed such a resolution (Resolution Number 2014-05) on March 25, 2014.  

On June 20, 2019, two bills calling for the formation of a nonpartisan redistricting commission were introduced in the Wisconsin Legislature as Assembly Bill 303 and Senate Bill 288. Rep. Joel Kitchens is co-sponsoring the Assembly bill, which has bipartisan support. Both bills are still in committee; neither has a hearing scheduled yet. Contact Rep. Kitchens to express your opinion. 

The Senate bill is in the Committee on Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection, chaired by Sen. Duey Stroebel (608.266.7513). The House bill is in the Committee on Campaigns and Elections, chaired by Rep. Ron Tusler (888.534.0003).