Wisconsin’s Supreme Court ruled that state legislative district maps drawn up by Republican legislators are unconstitutional because some districts, such as Senate District 22 in the Racine area, are not contiguous. Image provided by Wisconsin Supreme Court
Dec. 23 (UPI) — Wisconsin’s Supreme Court has struck down legislative district maps drawn up the state’s GOP majority, ruling they violate the constitutional requirement for “contiguous territory.”
In a 4-3 ruling along party lines handed down Friday, the high court said the state Legislature will have another chance to draw up new district lines before the 2024 election, but warned that if further attempts are not satisfactory, the court will draw its own districts.
The ruling striking down what critics have called Wisconsin’s “heavily gerrymandered” maps means half of the state Senate and all of the Assembly will be forced to run in new legislative districts, the Milwaukee Journal reported.
Under the current maps, Republicans have a solid hold in the Legislature, including 64 of 99 seats in the Assembly and a 22-11 supermajority in the Senate.
Crucial to the argument over redistricting is Article IV of Wisconsin’s Constitution, which has sections requiring legislative districts to be “contiguous territory.”
A group of voters and state senators sued, arguing that districts are non-contiguous.
The court said it agreed that the state legislative districts “must be composed of physically adjoining territory.
“The constitutional text and our precedent support this common-sense interpretation of contiguity. Because the current state legislative districts contain separate, detached territory, [they] therefore violate the constitution’s continuity requirements,” the court said.
The Legislature will have until Jan. 12 to submit new map proposals but Wisconsin Republicans say they will appeal the decision.
“The case was pre-decided before it was even brought,” Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said in a social media post. “Sad day for Wisconsin when the state supreme court just said last year that the existing lines are constitutional. Fortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court will have the last word.”
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers said the ruling shows the state’s Republican majority is unable to draw up fair legislative districts.
“It’s clear to me that a Republican-controlled Legislature that has consistently gerrymandered itself into comfortable partisan majorities for more than a decade is incapable of preparing fair, nonpartisan maps deserving of the people of this state,” Evers said in a statement.
“I agree with the court’s determination that these maps are unconstitutional because the districts lack contiguity,” he added, declaring that Wisconsin is in reality is a “purple state.”
“I look forward to submitting maps to the court to consider and review that reflect and represent the makeup of our state,” the governor said.