PASSED, IT WOULD THEN GO TO THE GOVERNOR FOR FINAL APPROVAL.

REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE WHO HAS LONG CHAMPIONED THE IOWA MODEL IS HERE.

TODD NOVAK JOINS US FROM DODGEVILLE.

THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.

>> GLAD TO BE HERE.

>> SO HOW SURPRISING WAS IT THAT THE SPEAKER MOVED TO A REDISTRICTING PROCESS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HAD PROPOSED?

>> IT WASN'T TOO SURPRISING.

MY COLLEAGUE AND I REPRESENT THE NEIGHBORING DISTRICT AND I HAVE BEEN ON THIS FOR YEARS.

WE FIRST STARTED, HIM AND I, TALKING ABOUT THIS AFTER THE LAST ELECTION.

IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, AFTER GOING THROUGH THE LAST COURT CASE, EVEN BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND WE STARTED PUSHING AND WE ACTUALLY MET WITH THE SPEAKER BEFORE APRIL AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT, TALK TO YOUR COLLEAGUES, SEE IF YOU CAN TALK TO SOME DEMOCRATS AND WE NEED TO REALLY PROBABLY TAKE A LOOK AT THIS.

NOW, THIS IS BEFORE APRIL.

SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY, IT WAS -- TALKING TO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE BEEN OPPOSED TO IT AND WHY WE NEED TO DO IT, WAS NOT THE EASIEST TASK, BUT THEY LISTENED AND THEN FINALLY WE GOT TO A POINT, I WOULD HAVE RATHER PUT IT OUT IN MAY OR JUNE.

FINALLY WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE WE HAD IT, WE HAD EVERYTHING TOGETHER AND WE WENT WITH IT AND SO I WILL SAY THIS, IN MY CAREER, THIS IS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LEGISLATIVE CAREER.

>> DOES IT MATTER TO YOU THAT THE ABOUT-FACE ON THE ISSUE COMES IN THE MIDST OF REDISTRICTING LAWSUITS AND TALKS OF IMPEACHMENT OF JUSTICE PROTASIEWICZ AND THIS DEMOCRATIC AD BLITZ AGAINST THEM AND THAT IT CAME SO QUICKLY LIKE THAT?

>> I MEAN, FROM ME LOOKING ON THE INSIDE, TALKING TO MY DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES OVER THE SUMMER, AND OUR WORKING GROUP, I KNOW THE OPTICS LOOK BAD BUT, I MEAN, I'M USUALLY CONSIDERED ONE OF THE PRETTY TRUSTWORTHY GUY IN THE LEGISLATURE BY BOTH PARTIES, AND MY WORD'S GOLD, AND WE DIDN'T JUST THROW THIS OUT IN TWO OR THREE DAYS.

I KNOW THE OP SIX LOOK BAD, BUT WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD ON THIS FOR MONTHS, AND AS FAR AS IMPEACHMENT ISSUE, WE HAVE NOT EVEN TALKED ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.

I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING TARGETED BY THIS -- ALL THIS MONEY, THE DEMOCRAT MONEY, AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT IT.

I DON'T TIE THE TWO TOGETHER.

I KNOW THE MEDIA AND THE DEMOCRATS, BUT IN MY MIND, THAT'S NOT WHY I DID THIS.

LOOK AT MY RECORD.

I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 10 YEARS.

>> WHAT ABOUT THE LAWSUITS?

I MEAN, DID THAT... >> I HAVE NO -- I'M NOT -- THAT'S NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH ME.

I DON'T EVEN, YOU KNOW -- THAT'S -- I'VE -- I'M SO USED TO -- YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK BACK -- WE'VE BEEN IN THE COURTS FOR TWO YEARS ON REDISTRICTING, TWO, THREE YEARS.

THIS IS KIND OF WHAT GOT MY COLLEAGUES THERE.

THE COURT COULD ESSENTIALLY FLIP IN TWO YEARS AND THEN WE COULD BE BACK DOING THIS.

I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO DO MAPS EVERY TWO YEARS, AND NOW WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHERE IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS.

>> HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO DEMOCRATIC CRITICS OF THE BILL, INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR, WHO CALLS IT BOGUS?

>> THE SAME GOVERNOR WHO STOOD AT THE SENATE CHAMBER PODIUM DEMANDING WE DO THIS IN THE STATE OF THE STATE BUDGET ADDRESS, PUT THIS IN HIS BUDGET, I BELIEVE, THESE EXACT SAME PLANS, AND NOW HE'S SAYING IT'S BOGUS.

I THINK YESTERDAY WAS VERY TELLING TO ME.

WE HAVE ALL THE DEMOCRAT CAUCUS ON RECORD, VARIOUS STATEMENTS SUPPORTING THIS EXACT SAME THING, AND NOW THEY WERE JUST YESTERDAY, JUST TOTALLY FLIPPED.

AND, OH, NO -- I WON'T SAY ALL OF THEM, SECRETLY, BEHIND THE SCENES, SOME SAID WE REALLY WANT THIS BUT OUR LEADERSHIP -- >> I WANT TO GET THIS QUESTION IN.

WHAT ABOUT THE QUESTION THAT EARLIER PROPOSALS FOR NON-PARTISAN MAP-MAKING WOULD REQUIRE APPROVAL OF AT LEAST THREE-QUARTERS OF ALL MEMBERS ELECTED IN EACH HOUSE, WHEREAS THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT?

>> NOW, WE CHANGED THAT TO BIPARTISAN, AND IT HAS TO BE A BIPARTISAN VOTE.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE -- WE PUT SIX AMENDMENTS ON LAST NIGHT WITH THE REQUEST OF SOME OF OUR DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES.

IT'S CHANGED TO BIPARTISAN.

AND THE REASON IS SIMPLY 75%, YOU COULD HAVE 10 DEMOCRATS LET'S SAY AND 10 REPUBLICANS THAT SELFISHLY SAY, I DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU DID TO MY DISTRICT, I'M NOT VOTING FOR IT.

75% THRESHOLD ISN'T JUST GETTING ANOTHER SIDE ON BOARD, IT'S GETTING -- IT WOULD JUST BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN A CERTAIN SITUATION.

I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.

IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN IOWA.

IT'S NOT IN THE IOWA MODEL.

SO ONLY CHANGES THIS BILL FROM IOWA IS WHAT LEGISLATIVE REFERENCE BUREAU SAID WE HAD TO CHANGE TO MATCH OUR CONSTITUTION.

>> ALL RIGHT.

REPRESENTATIVE NOVAK, WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.