Iowa model of redistricting should be model for Wisconsin

The issue goes to the very heart of our democracy. Voters in Wisconsin are finding their votes don’t matter much. That is because the current legislative boundaries drawn by our lawmakers in Madison have been so gerry-mandered they have been declared partisan and unconstitutional by a judge. The boundaries, which determine in which legislative district people vote, are so rigged that republican candidates have an unfair advantage. They draw up the districts so they are safe for their candidate, moving democratic voters to other districts. Many people who may be considering a run for the state Assembly or Senate don’t even bother because they don’t have a chance to win. That is not how it should be. We should be choosing our candidates for office, not the other way around. We have urged our lawmakers to adopt the Iowa model of redistricting. In that state, they use a group people, not politicians to draw the maps after each census. It is a fair system, with no look at past election results, or voter registrations. Not a single lawmaker is able to weigh in, or even get a sneak peek. The Iowa model is a model for the nation, and should be for Wisconsin as well. Wisconsin lawmakers should finally give up their stranglehold of power, and let the will of the people, not partisan politicians, decide who represents them.