Wisconsin lawmakers need to get to work redrawing legislative boundaries

If our lawmakers in Madison were wondering what they need to work on this legislative session, they can stop wondering. The courts have made it clear. Wisconsin needs to redraw its legislative boundaries by November so that the new map is in place for the 2018 election. The same judicial panel that ordered the new maps ruled in November that the current maps are “an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander” that “was intended to burden the representational rights of democratic voters.” The boundaries, which determine in what district people vote, are so crooked that instead of us choosing our political leaders, they are choosing us. Just look at the most recent election. The vote totals between republican and democrat candidates was split evenly, but republican candidates captured 64% of the state assembly seats. The deck is stacked. But so far the Walker administration’s reaction to the judge’s ruling is not to get to work drawing new boundaries, but continuing to fight in court, promising an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. That is unfortunate, and does nothing to restore fairness in Wisconsin’s elections.