“This was never about fair maps.” –Speaker Robin Vos
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed the legislative redistricting maps that he mostly drew.
Evers on Tuesday said he scuttled the 99% maps because they were too favorable to Republicans.
“These maps are more the same. Republicans passed maps to help make sure Republican-gerrymandered incumbents get to keep their seats. Folks, that’s just more gerrymandering,” Evers said. “Allowing politicians to move district lines so that their party can retain political power doesn’t help root out gerrymandering from our democracy, it further entrenches it. And that’s wrong.”
The maps the governor drew moved dozens of incumbent Republicans into new districts. Republicans moved some of those lawmakers back but largely left the governor’s maps unchanged.
Evers has denied he gerrymandered Wisconsin with his maps that would give Democrats control over the state legislature. Instead, he calls them fair maps.
“I have never been more hopeful that when Wisconsinites head to the ballot box later this year, they’ll be voting under legislative maps that finally reflect the people of the state,” Evers explained. “Wisconsin voters don’t want Republican or Democrat maps because Wisconsin isn’t a red state, or blue state, or purple state. And our map should reflect that basic fact.”
Republicans weren’t surprised by Evers’ veto.
Speaker Robin Vos said in a statement,
“I am disappointed but not surprised by Governor Evers’ veto. His claim that the maps he proposed were, ‘responsive to the will of the people, avoided partisan bias and increased competitive legislation seats,’ fell completely apart by a 0.3% change to stop a few politically vindictive incumbent pairings. By signing, he would have gotten 99.7% of the maps he’s proposed in court.
This was never about fair maps.
His action today only solidifies his trust in the Wisconsin Supreme Court to give him even more partisan, gerrymandered maps for Democrats—the very thing the court’s newest justice promised on the campaign trail while receiving record-level Democratic Party campaign donations.”
Rep Barb Dittrich, R-Oconomowoc, said on social media Tuesday,
“This just proves that the governor is counting on the $10 million purchase of our Wisconsin State Supreme Court to unconstitutionally draw completely slanted maps to give a desired outcome,”
Wisconsin Republican Party chairman Brian Schimming said in a statement,
“Gov. Evers just vetoed a ‘Fair Map’ he claimed he wanted,” “What he really wants is obvious: to have the legislative map decided by the Wisconsin Supreme Court that his party just bought and paid for. It’s as simple as that.”
Wisconsin Right Now’s analysis shows that if, in fact, the liberal-controlled Wisconsin Supreme Court is serious about “fairness” in how legislative districts are drawn, the justices will pick the maps submitted by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.
