The Wisconsin Legislature is set to meet in special session Tuesday to take up a proposal by Gov. Evers to create a non-partisan redistricting commission.
The Wisconsin Legislature will meet in special session Tuesday to consider a constitutional amendment banning partisan gerrymandering in the drawing of state Assembly and Senate districts.
Gov. Tony Evers signed Executive Order #285 in March, directing lawmakers to convene at noon on April 14th to take up the proposal. It would prohibit the creation of legislative maps that give disproportionate advantage to any political party during the decennial redistricting process.
Evers framed the session as an effort to prevent a return to what he called some of the most gerrymandered maps in the nation, which were in place for a decade before the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned them on dubious legal grounds in late 2023 and threatened to implement its own if the governor and legislators couldn’t agree on new maps.
The Legislature ultimately signed on to Evers’ maps, which immediately produced a net pickup of 10 seats in the Wisconsin Assembly and four in the Senate for Democrats in the 2024 legislative elections.
Republican legislative leaders have historically dismissed many of Evers’ special session calls, often gaveling in and out in mere seconds. The proposal would require passage by the Legislature in two consecutive sessions before going to voters as a constitutional amendment.
Democrats also seem hesitant to enact a nonpartisan redistricting commission, as a number of them privately communicated to the Evers Administration that they were not onboard. After announcing the special session last month, Evers conceded that he had heard “through the grapevine” that Democrats were not totally sold on the plan.
Republicans are expected to gavel in and out of Tuesday’s session without taking any action on the plan.
