Banning Gerrymandering
Wisconsin Governor Evers has called a special session of the legislature for April 14th to pass a constitutional ban on partisan gerrymandering. Extraordinary public pressure will be needed for this important reform to have any chance in the Republican controlled legislature.
Prior to the latest redistricting compromise, Wisconsin had the worst gerrymandered legislative maps in the country. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the old districts unconstitutional and required new state legislative districts be created. Fearing the liberal controlled Supreme Court would impose a stricter plan, Republicans agreed to a compromise on maps drawn by Evers. But this is not a permanent solution. The state needs a nonpartisan process for redistricting that takes partisan politics (and the courts) out of the process.
In calling for the special session Evers said, “For too long, lawmakers had little incentive to find common ground or listen to the people who elected them. Legislators were able to rely on the safety of their seats rather than the quality of their work…”
The 2030 census will require a new round of political battles over redistricting and there is no guarantee that the recent progress won’t be reversed. Evers says, “If the Legislature doesn’t act now, our maps could go right back to being rigged…We have a responsibility to make sure that [partisan gerrymandering] doesn’t happen ever again.”
Evers’ constitutional amendment proposal is very basic. His proposed language reads, “Districts shall not provide a disproportionate advantage or disadvantage to any political party. Partisan gerrymandering is prohibited.”
Unfortunately this leaves a huge opening for more partisan wrangling every 10 years over the details and process of redistricting. In my opinion the constitutional amendment should clearly specify that an independent, nonpartisan agency be created with full responsibility and power to enact redistricting. The only roll for the legislature and governor should be to recommend either approval or disapproval of the independently drawn maps by the voters. They should have no role in creating the maps.
Citizen pressure will be essential for anything to happen. It is likely without public pressure the Republican controlled legislature may, as they did in the past, open the special session and then immediately adjourn. For a constitutional amendment to pass, or for a good, independent, nonpartisan redistricting process to be created, citizens will have to be engaged.
Democracy doesn’t function well when citizens don’t pay attention and participate. Voting is essential, but it is not the only duty of citizens in a democracy.