Redistricting Letter to State Senators, Representatives, and Governor

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For Release: Wednesday- May 20, 2020

Redistricting Reform Pledge Request from Common Cause Wisconsin to State Elected Officials

This letter was sent to all current members of the Wisconsin Assembly, State Senate and to Gov. Tony Evers.

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May 19, 2020

Dear Wisconsin State Senator/Representative/Gov. Evers,

For decades, Common Cause has supported reforms to end gerrymandering across the country in states that are controlled by both Democrats and Republicans. As part of our ongoing effort to shine a spotlight on the need for redistricting that puts people first, we are writing to ask you to sign the End Gerrymandering Pledge.

Our pledge reads as follows: “Redistricting should be fair, transparent, non-discriminatory and politically impartial.” See some national leaders who have signed the pledge on our End Gerrymandering Pledge website. Elected officials should use this link to sign the pledge.

Following the 2020 census, voting districts at all levels of government will have to be redrawn in Wisconsin to adhere to the U.S. Constitution’s Fourteenth Amendment guarantee of equal protection. Common Cause believes that redistricting should be a process that prioritizes fair representation for Wisconsin residents, meaningful community input, and transparency. Unfortunately, redistricting in Wisconsin and other states in which legislators control the process has been plagued by partisanship, illegal racial gerrymandering, and backroom deals that prioritize political advantage for incumbents and the majority party over the rights of the public.

Improved technology has made it possible for mapmakers to undermine our representative democracy by using the redistricting process to preordain the outcome of elections for an entire decade. A basic premise of our system of government is that We the People can hold our elected officials accountable on Election Day. Gerrymandering denies voters this fundamental freedom.

We hope that you will help to instill confidence in the democratic process in Wisconsin by signing the End Gerrymandering Pledge. By signing this pledge, you are demonstrating your support for Assembly Bill 303/Senate Bill 288. This bill would bring the Iowa model for redistricting to Wisconsin by empowering nonpartisan staff to draw districts that legislators must approve. Common Cause Wisconsin will spotlight signers on our website so Wisconsinites will know which elected officials have committed to defending their fundamental voting rights during the upcoming redistricting process.

Thank you in advance for your consideration. If you have any questions, feel free to respond to this email or call me at (608) 512-9363.

Sincerely,

Jay Heck
Executive Director
Common Cause Wisconsin

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CONTACT:

Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)




Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212
Madison, WI  53703
608/256-2686

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