The state of Wisconsin’s electoral maps will have to be “un-gerrymandered” by this November, according to the latest federal court ruling.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs said Illinois’ Democrats should be paying close attention.
Republicans that control Wisconsin’s district-drawing process now have to create a new map by November 1. That’s in order to both give the state’s elections time to adjust and give the Supreme Court time to rule on the case, as the law states that it’s automatically sent to the state’s high court.
Ruth Greenwood with the Campaign Legal Center said Whitford v. Gill is significant because it establishes a clear-cut way to determine if a state’s maps are gerrymandered. She said the fact that Wisconsin’s maps were drawn in a way to unfairly benefit the party was enough for the three-judge panel to call it unconstitutional.
“There are obviously different ways to do it, but the point of the case was to be able to say they could have done it differently, but they chose not to,” she said.
Greenwood said that should the Supreme Court ruling go the Democrats’ way, Illinois’ Democrats should expect a case saying that their legislative map drawing fits the criteria for gerrymandering.
More at: Illinois News Network
This is great news. In Dec. 2010, I emailed about five members of the state senate and house government administration committees. I suggested that, to draw the congressional, state senate, and state house maps, they use the Iowa method, since Iowa uses a computer program that doesn’t consider ethnic groups, incumbents, or parties. An aide to State Rep. Dan Brady emailed me and said, “We don’t use that system. All of those maps will be drawn by Senate President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan.”
I hope the maps will be redrawn before Labor Day, since Illinois candidates will start collecting petition signatures in Sept.
“A lawyer for the plaintiffs said Illinois’ Democrats should be paying close attention.”
– Why? You don’t seriously believe that a court will rule against Illinois, do you? I don’t or it would’ve happened already. All politics. Wisconsin will win at the Supreme Court, anyway.
This is the way that maps should be drawn…
The time is coming that the Madigan way of life will end.
Won’t happen in Illinois.
Our seven-person State Supreme Court is comprised of THREE Republicans vs. FOUR Democrats.
Look at what happened with our attempt to put a reform referendum on the ballot. How did Madigan’s court vote?
“NO referendum.”