The Independent View: WI Supreme Court Orders New Legislative Maps

The Liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court, Overturned Republican-drawn Llegislative Maps on Friday, and Ordered New District Boundary Lines, be drawn as Democrats had urged in a Redistricting Case they hope will Weaken GOP Majorities.

The Ruling comes less than a year before the 2024 Election, in a Battleground State where Four of the Six past Presidential Elections have been decided by fewer than 23,000 Votes, and Republicans have built large Majorities in the Legislature, under Maps they drew over a Decade ago.

The Court Ruled 4-3 in favor of Democrats, who argued that the Legislative Maps are Unconstitutional because Districts Drawn aren't Contiguous. They also argued that the Supreme Court Violated the Separation-of-Powers Doctrine.

“Because the current state legislative districts contain separate, detached territory and therefore violate the constitution’s contiguity requirements, we enjoin the Wisconsin Elections Commission from using the current legislative maps in future elections,” Justice Jill Karofksy wrote for the Majority.

The Court said it will Proceed with adopting Remedial Maps, in time for the 2024 Election, unless the Republican-controlled Legislature can pass Maps that Gov. Tony Evers (D) will Sign. Evers Vetoed the current Maps.

The Lawsuit was filed a day after the Court's Majority Flipped to 4-3 Liberal Control in August. That's when Justice Janet Protasiewicz joined the Court, after Her April Election Victory.

Protasiewicz called the GOP-drawn Maps “unfair” and “rigged” during Her Campaign, leading Republicans to threaten to Impeach Her, before She had even heard a Case. She sided with the other Liberal Justices in Striking-Down the current Maps.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-63rd District), who had threatened Impeachment the loudest, backed off on Wednesday and said even if She Ruled in favor of Throwing Out the Maps, impeachment was “super unlikely.”

The Ruling comes One month after the Ccourt heard Oral Arguments in the Case in November. The State Elections Commission, has said Maps must be in place by March 15th, 2024, if the New Districts are to be in play for the 2024 Election.

Democrats argued for having All 132 Lawmakers stand for Election under the New Maps, including Half of theMmembers of the State Senate, who are Midway through their Four-Year Terms. The Legislature argued that No New Maps should be enacted any sooner than the 2026 Election.

Democrats argued in Wisconsin, that the Majority of current Legislative Districts, 54 out of 99 in the Assembly and 21 out of 33 in the Senate, Violate the State Constitution’s Contiguity Requirement.

Wisconsin’s Redistricting Laws, backed up by State and Federal Court Rulings over the past 50 years, have Permitted Districts under certain Circumstances to be Noncontiguous, Attorneys for the Legislature argued. Even if the Court decided to address the Issue, it could only affect Alleged Areas where Districts aren’t Contiguous and Not upend existing District Lines, Republicans argued.

Democrats also argued that the Supreme Court Violated the Separation-of-Powers Doctrin,e when it adopted the Republican-DrawnMmap that Evers had previously Vetoed, “improperly seizing powers for itself the Constitution assigns to other branches.”

The Legislative Electoral Maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature in 2011, cemented the Party’s Majorities, which now stand at 64-35 in the Assembly and a 22-11 Supermajority in the Senate.

Since taking the Majority in 2011, Republicans have enacted a wide range of Conservative Priorities. They have aAl but Eliminated Collective Bargaining for Public Workers, and since 2019 they’ve been a Bblock on Evers’ Agenda, Firing Evers Appointees and threatening Impeachment of Protasiewicz and the State’s Elections Leader.

Litigation is ongoing in more than Dozen States over U.S. House and State Legislative Districts enacted after the 2020 Census.