Gerrymandering/Redistricting

Legislators’ revenge in Arizona and New Jersey, an invitation to sue in North Carolina, and great progress on reform in Illinois and Virginia make it clear that this will not be a quiet summer on the redistricting front. Let’s see how things are looking.

The Sacramento City Council approved language for a November referendum to create an independent redistricting commission to draw City Council districts. Following the successful efforts of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw congressional, state legislative, and Board of Equalization districts based on nonpartisan criteria, municipalities are beginning to follow suit.

This week, a crucial trial is under way in Judge Barbara Crabb’s courtroom in Madison. The outcome could have a huge impact not only here in Wisconsin but across the country.

Capital Region Council of Governments (CapCOG) – a council of governments that represents 40 Boroughs, Cities and Townships surrounding Harrisburg – passed a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to end partisan gerrymandering. The CapCOG resolution follows in the footsteps of the Cumberland County, Pittsburgh City Council, and Swarthmore Borough Council resolutions, demanding an end to partisan gerrymandering by way of a constitutional amendment.

The number of Wisconsin Assembly and State Senate legislative districts in 2016 that can be considered even remotely competitive this November is just 10 percent of the total – one of the fewest number of competitive state legislative districts on record – according to election data compiled by Common Cause in Wisconsin (CC/WI).

Not so long ago, Wisconsin was heralded as a national model for clean, accountable and open government. Other states sought to emulate Wisconsin’s system of government. We cannot say this today. Perhaps the most notable reason is the unwillingness of our legislators to pass or even discuss nonpartisan redistricting of Wisconsin’s congressional and state legislative districts.