The recent state budget was a disappointment for the health and well-being of the people and environment of Wisconsin –– it removed many programs and funding increases from Governor Evers’ budget proposal supported by Sierra Club members.
The Republican-controlled Joint Finance Committee (12 Republicans to 4 Democrats), which mirrors the makeup of the State Legislature, is responsible for removing these programs and funding. Unfortunately, Republicans have shown that they support the status quo, which results in inaction and gridlock in the legislature. Inaction is the last thing we need to protect the environment. Recent polling shows that most Americans want to modernize public transportation, improve access to clean drinking water, and invest in clean energy and electric vehicles.
Ban gerrymandering in 2021
Finding a solution to inaction when Republicans control the State Legislature can feel impossible, but 2021 may provide a glimmer of hope with redistricting efforts and the advocacy work around the WI Fair Maps coalition.
Former State Representative Assembly District 57, Penny Bernard Schaber recently shared her view on this crucial issue to the Four Lakes Sierra Club group:
“What is the number ONE issue for us as environmentalists? Is it Clean Air? Is it Clean Water? Is it Biodiversity? Nope... it is...Fair Maps and abandoning gerrymandering!”
The basics of redistricting and gerrymandering
What is redistricting?
- Redistricting is the process by which new congressional and state legislative district boundaries are drawn.
- It is completed the year after the latest ten-year US Census; 2020 is the most recent year.
- In Wisconsin, requirements include that state legislative districts be compact and contiguous.
- The Wisconsin State Legislature draws congressional and state legislative district boundaries, and they are subject to the governor’s veto.
There are only a few requirements at the Federal level. For example, districts must have nearly equal populations and must not discriminate based on race or ethnicity. However, For the People Act (HR 1) does introduce more requirements at the Federal level, including efforts to end partisan redistricting, known as gerrymandering –– by requiring all states to use independent citizen commissions to draw congressional districts and allowing the public to review the maps and provide feedback. This approach isn’t new to all states, but it would be a welcomed change for Wisconsin.
What is gerrymandering?
- Gerrymandering happens when the political party in power tries to draw district lines to their advantage, thereby helping them stay in control.
- It often disproportionately dilutes the minority vote by a combination of strategies called packing and cracking.
- Cracking is when an opposing party’s voters are spread out or “cracked” across several districts to form a perpetual minority in each one.
- Packing is when voters from the target party are placed or “packed” in as few districts as possible, limiting the number of seats they can influence. [1]
Wisconsin has been on the national stage when it comes to gerrymandering, and in 2011 the redrawing of the district maps is often used as one of the worst examples of gerrymandering in United States history. Republicans had a supermajority in the State Legislature and controlled the governorship. With this power, they hired lawyers to draw maps behind closed doors –– omitting their fellow Democrats and providing no public visibility into the process.
Wisconsin voters challenged the gerrymandering in Gill v. Whitford, and the lower courts sided with voters calling the plan “an aggressive partisan gerrymander.” The case went all the way to the US Supreme Court. The ruling undermined the lower courts, stating the legislature’s responsibility to address any changes to partisan gerrymandering.
Representation matters
Wisconsinites should be choosing who represents them, not the other way around.
There are a few ways we are working to give power back to the people.
- First, Governor Evers issued an executive order to create the People’s Map Commission and address the impact of gerrymandering after the 2020 census.
- Second, grassroots organizations like WI Fair Maps coalition are working hard to empower the people across Wisconsin –– so far, fifty-six counties back fair maps through referendums and resolutions.
Check if your county supports fair maps.
Get involved
The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign created a toolkit for you to advocate for legislation that bans gerrymandering and adopt a solution based on the Iowa Model, where career civil servants draw the district maps, compared to the political party in power at the time of the redrawing. It also ensures public participation through public hearings.
The toolkit includes:
- General information on gerrymandering
- Updates on current legislation
- Resources to help you encourage others to advocate for banning gerrymandering
- Guidance on contacting your representatives to voice your support for fair maps in Wisconsin
Wisconsin Republicans have already agreed to spend $1 million or more of taxpayer’s money to fund any legal fees that result from the redrawing of district maps this year. The cost of the 2011 legal challenges cost Wisconsin taxpayers $3.5 million. These millions of dollars would have more of an impact on the programs and increased funding removed from the recent state budget, like Double Focus on Energy, PFAS Action Plan, and Replacement of Lead Service Lines.
We cannot waste another ten years (let alone millions of taxpayer dollars) on inaction in the Wisconsin State Legislature to address climate change and provide Wisconsinites with a safe and healthy environment. Take back the power of the people, and support the banning of partisan power grabs by ending gerrymandering and drawing fair maps for Wisconsin.
Written by Elyssa Emrich, Sierra Club Legislative Committee member.