Wisconsin Supreme Court Shoots Down Legislative Maps

The Republican Party has lost yet another redistricting case at the state Supreme Court level.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has rejected the GOP maps and has ordered the redrawing of congressional district lines.

The lines must be redrawn prior to the 2024 election, dealing the GOP a massive blow, as the new lines favored GOP candidates.

Losing Again

Gerrymandering is always an issue after a census, but I cannot recall so many state maps being rejected as we have seen after the results of the 2020 census.

The court, now in liberal control, wrote, “At least 50 of 99 assembly districts and at least 20 of 33 senate districts violate this mandate, rendering them unconstitutional. We therefore enjoin the Wisconsin Elections Commission from using the current maps in all future elections, as such, remedial 51 maps must be adopted prior to the 2024 elections.”

The ruling continued, “We set out this process in order to afford all parties a chance to be heard, while bearing in mind the need for expediency given that next year’s elections are fast approaching.

“We begin our process now instead of waiting to see whether the legislative process results in new maps.”

Democrat Governor Tony Evers celebrated the ruling, stating, “Wisconsin is a purple state, and I look forward to submitting maps to the Court to consider and review that reflect and represent the makeup of our state.”

This outcome was imminent, with Judge Janet Protasiewicz being elected to the bench during the last election.

Protasiewicz ran on changing the maps. Republicans demanded she recuse herself from the case, which she rejected, stating, “I will set aside my opinions and decide cases based on the law. There will surely be many cases in which I reach results that I personally dislike. That is what it means to be a judge.”

Her decision not to recuse herself from the case did not sit well with the conservative side of the bench, with Conservative Justice Rebecca Bradley writing, “The probability of actual bias on Protasiewicz’s part likely approaches 100%.”

Now that the case has finally come before the court, the GOP’s greatest fear has come true, as Protasiewicz proved everyone right by providing the swing vote that rejected the maps and sent legislators back to the drawing board.