CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Now that Wisconsin’s political maps have been redrawn, let’s pause for a moment to review what the law about redistricting does not say.
For instance, the law does not say that voting districts shall not be gerrymandered. The law presupposes that, since the legislature draws the maps, that political considerations would be a part of the process.
The law also does not say that the make-up of the legislature should, roughly, mirror the results of statewide races. If a governor was elected 55 to 45 percent, the legislature does not need to have the same make-up.
The law does not say that the state Supreme Court shall call in its own experts, and they shall draw maps that would supersede anything the legislature might agree to.
And the law most certainly does not say that the addresses of current lawmakers will be used to make sure that certain incumbents from the same party will have to run against each other.
All the law does say is that voting districts must be contiguous, that is, they must touch each other, that they should keep communities together when possible, and that they must have roughly the same number of voters.
Everything else is made up; in many cases by the Governor, who takes an oath to faithfully uphold the law, and by the Supreme Court of Wisconsin, who takes an oath to rule on what the law says.
If State Rep. Pat Snyder had the resources, he should sue over the redistricting that moves him out of the current 85th District by 900 yards. There is no question that whoever drew the maps located Snyder’s home address, and moved the boundary lines three houses over. If such a lawsuit were filed, during discovery, it could also be asked if the home addresses of Republicans Rep. James Edming, and Rep. Donna Rozar, who were also redistricted out of their current seats. The only Democrat who was moved out of their current district has already announced that he’s not running for reelection.
The one good thing about the current maps is that the process bent but didn’t break. The legislature voted on maps, passed them, and they were signed by the Governor. That’s what state law says is supposed to happen.
The lesson from all of this is to beware of people who are willing to make up what they law does and does not say.
Chris Conley
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