Republicans Once Again Opt for Party over Principle

MADISON, Wis. — On Tuesday, Wisconsin’s Senate and Assembly voted on a Joint Resolution aimed at preventing fair districting. In the last round of redistricting in 2010, Republicans massively changed Wisconsin’s district lines in order to enhance their own power. Now, they’re doing their best to maintain one of the nation’s worst gerrymanders with a resolution that states the Legislature’s intent to preserve the current maps as much as possible. The resolution passed along party lines, despite the fact that a handful of Republican members of the Assembly have previously joined Democrats in supporting legislation aimed at preventing politicians of either party from manipulating district lines for partisan benefits.

A Better Wisconsin Together Deputy Director Mike Browne released the following statement:

“By supporting this Joint Resolution, Representatives Todd Novak, Travis Tranel, Jeffrey Mursau, Loren Oldenburg, and Joel Kitchens are showing that, when the rubber hits the road, they’ll pick party over principle every time. Voters should pick their leaders, not the other way around. Unfortunately, Republicans have failed to put forward a positive agenda for our state, so it’s no wonder they’re trying to rig the rules to evade accountability.”

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A Better Wisconsin Together is a state-based research and communications hub for progressives and is an affiliate of ProgressNow.