Wisconsin’s 2011 state Assembly maps were ruled unconstitutional last November and the state is looking for a Supreme Court review of the case. Both sides are optimistic that district lines will fall in pleasant places for them. Two separate guests on the Sunday morning political talk show “Capital City Sunday,” expressed their confidence that the results would go their way. Wisconsin Attorney General Brad Schimel believes the Supreme Court will most likely take up the case and rule in the state’s favor, while Wisconsin Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca sees the initial “unconstitutional” ruling as a source of hope for state Democrats. After a panel of three federal judges ruled that the maps made it more difficult for Democrats to “translate their votes into seats,” both parties in the case were required to submit a plan about how to rectify the gerrymandered district lines.
Schimel said the state’s “only real option” for a proposal was to “suggest that the Legislature do it over.” He said the state would immediately seek a stay in order to bring the case to the Supreme Court.
He maintained the original judges ruled in error because they failed to look at certain factors like the “natural tendency of certain communities to be largely of the same partisan block,” adding that urban areas of Madison and Milwaukee are naturally more Democratic, while Waukesha County tends to be more Republican.
“It’s hard to not have those votes watered down just by the nature of the people that live there,” Schimel said.
Full Article: Both sides optimistic about success in redistricting case | Politics and Elections | host.madison.com.