MADISON, Wis. — Today, the Wisconsin Supreme Court released a ruling that the state’s legislative maps – which were drawn by Republican lawmakers to give themselves a partisan advantage – are unconstitutional.
According to A Better Wisconsin Together Executive Director Chris Walloch, this decision marks a significant milestone in pursuit of a truly representative government that ensures every vote holds equal weight, and that popular policies have a fair shot at becoming law.
“This ruling affirms that the current gerrymandered legislative maps do not meet the constitutional standards required to guarantee an accurate and representative reflection of the diverse voices across Wisconsin,” Walloch said.
According to an analysis from legal experts at UW-Madison, Wisconsin’s current Republican-drawn legislative maps are some of the most gerrymandered in the nation.
“Voters should pick our leaders, not the other way around,” Walloch continued. “Wisconsin’s current maps do not reflect that, and were drawn up by right-wing politicians in a way that only benefits their own political agenda. This means that Wisconsin’s partisan gerrymander is causing real and tangible harm to our communities.”
For example, polling shows that 68% of Wisconsinites support safe and legal abortion access, 81% support common sense gun safety laws, and 64% support marijuana legalization – but the Republican-controlled legislature has blocked action on these popular policies at every turn, thanks to the partisan maps they rigged for themselves.
Further polling also shows that a majority (87%) of Wisconsinites oppose gerrymandering and want to see a change.
“These unconstitutional maps reflect a long history of partisan map drawing that enables right-wing politicians to rig the rules for their own benefit, while the issues Wisconsin voters care about have gone unaddressed,” said Walloch. “We are appreciative of the court majority’s willingness to give fair maps a fair shot in Wisconsin.”
