Evers wants to provide more evidence in remapping fight

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s Democratic governor told the state Supreme Court on Thursday that it should allow him to submit additional evidence defending his legislative district boundary map that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected, arguing it is still better than the one submitted by the Republican Legislature.

Alternately, Gov. Tony Evers also asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to consider making a change to his map to reduce the number of Black-majority Assembly districts from seven to six. The Legislature’s map had five Black-majority districts in Milwaukee.

The U.S. Supreme Court said in its ruling Wednesday that the state Supreme Court failed to consider whether a “race-neutral alternative that did not add a seventh majority-black district would deny black voters equal political opportunity.”

The nation’s high court also said that the state Supreme Court was free to take additional evidence it is preferred to reconsider Evers’ map, and that is what Evers asked the court to do Thursday. He wants the state court to allow for the submission of additional evidence until April 1.