PBS Wisconsin senior political reporter Zac Schultz describes the Wisconsin Supreme Court redistricting lawsuit ruling and order that the state use new legislative district maps in the 2024 election.
Anchored by Frederica Freyberg, Here & Now is Wisconsin’s weekly in-depth news and public affairs program where civic and political leaders provide context to the issues at the forefront of life in Wisconsin.
>> THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT RELEASED ITS RULING THIS AFTERNOON OVERTURNING WISCONSIN'S VOTING MAPS.
THE VOTE WAS 4-3 WITH CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES DISSENTING.
THE LIBERAL MAJORITY ORDERED NEW MAPS BASED ON THE CONTIGUOUSUITY.
THE NUMBER O F STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS CONTAINING TERRITORY COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE REST OF THE DISTRICT IS STRIKING.
AT LEAST 50 OF T HE 99 ASSEMBLY DISTRICTS AND AT LEAST 20 OF THE 33 SENATE DISTRICTS INCLUDE SEPARATE DETACHED TERRITORY.
IN DISSENT, CHIEF JUSTICE ANNETTE ZEIGLER SAID, QUOTE, THIS DEAL WAS SEALED ON ELECTION NIGHT.
FOUR JUSTICES REMAP WISCONSIN, EVEN THOUGH THIS CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS TO OCCUR EVERY 10 YEARS AFTER A CENSUS.
BY THE OTHER TWO BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT.
CONTENTIOUS, TO BE SURE.
SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, ZAC SCHULTZ, JOINS US WITH DETAILS.
ZAC, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> SO THE COURT RULED DETACHED TERRITORY OR THE CONTIGUOUSNESS OF THE MAPS VIOLATES THE STATE CONSTITUTION.
DESCRIBE WHY.
>> PART OF AN OLD TOWNSHIP WHEN A CITY INCORPORATES AND GRABS A SUBDIVISION, IT WOULD LEAVE A LITTLE ISLAND THAT BELONGED TO AN OLD TOWNSHIP, AND UNDER THE MAPS, AND FOR THE PAST FEW DECADES, THEY'VE LEFT THOSE WITH THE OTHER TOWNSHIP, AND IF THOSE HAPPENED ON THE DIVIDING LINES OF AN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, PART OF THAT ISLAND GOES WITH THE OTHER DISTRICT.
PAST COURTS HAVE R ULED THAT THAT IS OKAY.
THIS COURT SET PRECEDENT GOING BACK TO THE 1800s, WHEN THEY SAID THAT CONTIGUOUS MEANS CONTIGUOUS.
>>> WHAT ELSE ST OOD OUT?
>> IT WAS THE TIME LINE OF THIS AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE GETTING AWAY FROM LEASED CHANGE.
THAT WAS THE CRITERIA THAT THE LAST COURT INVENTED FOR WHICH THEY WOULD CONSIDER THESE MAPS, SAYING THAT THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THEM AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE.
THIS COURT SAID THIS CHANGE IS NOT A FACTOR, WE DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE USED, IT WILL BE THROWN OUT.
THIS COURT HAS DECIDED THAT THEET GIVE THE LEGISLATURE THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE THE LEGISLATURE A CHANCE TO DRAW THE MAPS AND SEE IF THEY CAN COME UP W DEAL WITH THE GOVERNOR.
THAT'S UNLIKELY.
>> WHO DRAWS THE MAPS?
>> THERE ARE TWO ROUTES.
LEGISLATURE HAS THE OPTION OF PASSING LEGISLATURE.
THOSE WILL SUPERSEDE ANYTHING AND THEY'LL GO INTO PLACE.
SINCE WE KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN GIVEN THE POLITICAL REALITY WE'RE IN, THE COURT HAS SAID THAT THEY WILL HIRE CONSULTANTS TO HELP LOOK AND APPRAISE DIFFERENT MAPS THAT ARE BROUGHT TO THEM AND PRESENTED TO THEM.
>> DO ALL 132 LEGISLATORS HAVE TO STAND FOR ELECTION UNDER NEW MAPS?
>> NO.
WHAT THEY ALSO RULED IS THATúSED MAPS JUST TWO YEARS AGO WILL NOT HAVE TO GO UP AGAIN UNTIL A.E.D.
26.
>> SO MEANWHILE, THE COURT ALSO SET A JANUARY 12 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THESE NEW MAPS.
TALK ABOUT FAST-TRACKED.
>> THIS HAS BEEN FAST-TRACKED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS LAWSUIT BEING FILED THE DAY THAT JUSTICE PROTASIEWICZ WAS SWORN IN ALL THE WAY TO ORAL ARGUMENTS, THIS DECISION COMING OUT IN JANUARY UNPRECEDENTED.
CANDIDATES CAN FILE IN THESE NEW DISTRICTS IN APRIL, SO THEY HAVE TO MOVE ON A FAST TIME LINE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE SEEING THE COURT SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AT THE SAME TIME THE LEGISLATURE CAN BECAUSE WE DON'T TRUST THEM TO GET IT DONE ON TIME.
>> THEY'RE HIRING THESE CONSULTANTS TO HELP THEM DO THIS, AND KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HOW THIS STATE WORKS RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ALL OF THESE PIECES CAN COME TOGETHER IN TIME FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S ELECTIONS.
>> WELL, THEY HAVE TO, AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS EVERY 10 YEARS EVERYWHERE ELSE.
IT WILL GET DONE.
IT'S JUST PEOPLE WILL BE SAYING THAT THEY'RE JUST AS BIASED IN A THAT THEY'RE JUST AS BIASED IN A
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