At long last, citizens of Wisconsin can rejoice: the state’s Supreme Court has overturned legislative maps that favored the Republican party. This comes as a strong victory for democratic representation in the state and nationwide.
The battle to overturn these maps began in 2011, when the Wisconsin legislature passed into law a new redistricting plan that heavily favored the GOP. It soon became apparent that the map was crafted in order to maximize the electoral opportunities for Republicans, depriving the other political parties of fair representation.
Several organizations, including the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, took up the cause and filed a lawsuit in 2014 in an attempt to overturn the Republican-led legislative maps. This lawsuit worked its way up to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which issued an order last week overturning the maps. The court stated that Wisconsin’s legislative map “was intended to burden the representational rights of Democratic voters . . . by impeding their ability to translate their votes into legislative seats.”
The court ruled that the Wisconsin legislature must redraw its maps within the next three months and submit them to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for approval. Once approved, the new maps are expected to result in significantly more competitive and fair legislative elections in Wisconsin.
The decision issued this week by the Wisconsin Supreme Court is a testament to the power of the judicial system to ensure that citizens of all political persuasions have a say in their government. Wisconsinites everywhere can now breathe a sigh of relief knowing the courts are on their side and that partisan gerrymandering will no longer impede the will of the people.
“Wisconsin Supreme Court Unveils Unexpected GOP Map Revolution!
