Where do Wisconsin state legislative candidates stand on non-partisan redistricting reform?

For Release: Thursday - September 24, 2020

Illustration by Phil Hands

 CC/WI will keep a running list of who supports the "Iowa Plan"

 

During the 2019-2020 Legislative Session, non-partisan redistricting reform was the leading political reform initiative in the media and among citizens throughout Wisconsin. CC/WI helped unite pro-reform legislators and citizens behind a single measure -- Assembly Bill 303/Senate Bill 288 -- that is modeled after Iowa's highly successful, 40-year-old redistricting process that takes the partisan politics out of redistricting and delegates the boundary-drawing to a non-partisan state entity that does not utilize partisan political considerations in their task.

Nonpartisan redistricting reform has received the unprecedented endorsement of every Wisconsin daily newspaper editorial board and thousands of citizens expressed their support for ending gerrymandering by voting for county advisory referendums to end partisan gerrymandering, in letters to editors, communications to legislators and by attending one of numerous "reform forums" (both real and virtual) CC/WI and other organizations organized over 2019-2020 in every part of Wisconsin.

While the legislative leadership continues to oppose this reform and refused to hold even a public hearing during the past legislative session, redistricting reform will be very much an issue during the current election season.

As we have done for every election since 2014, CC/WI wants to make it simple and easy for Wisconsin voters to see which state legislative candidates support the non-partisan redistricting reform embodied in the "Iowa Plan" by providing an updated list of those candidates on our website.

Go here to see which state legislative candidates, on the ballot in the upcoming November 3rd election, we know are supportive of AB 303/SB288, the "Iowa Model" legislation either because they co-sponsored the legislation as incumbent members of the Wisconsin Legislature over the past two years, or, through "pledging" to support it through CC/WI or through one of our coalition organizations.

Any state legislative candidate (or their authorized proxy) who supports the "Iowa Plan" not on the list and who would like to see their name listed on our site should contact CC/WI by phone at (608) 256-2686 (leave a message if no answer), by email or by letter: CC/WI, P.O. Box 2597, Madison, WI 53701-2597.

Citizens can urge candidates to support non-partisan redistricting reform and request that they get their names on this list. Candidates should be pro-active to have their names appear on this site. Get in touch with us!

We will update the list constantly and will have a tab in the sidebar of our homepage for anyone to check to see who is on it and therefore in support of the Iowa Plan.

Wisconsinites will also have an opportunity to weigh in publicly this Fall and next year in support on ending partisan gerrymandering by testifying at one of the eight (virtual) public hearings being scheduled by Governor Ever's "People's Map Commission."

Virtual hearings schedule:

• Thursday, October 1, 2020, 8th Congressional District
• Thursday, October 29, 2020, 5th Congressional District
• Thursday, November 19, 2020, 3rd Congressional District
• Wednesday, December 9, 2020, 4th Congressional District
• January hearing date TBD, 7th Congressional District
• February hearing date TBD, 1st Congressional District
• March hearing date TBD, 6th Congressional District
• April hearing date TBD, 2nd Congressional District

For more information about how to testify or watch these hearings go here.

CONTACT:  Jay Heck  Executive Director 608/256-2686 (office) 608/512-9363 (cell)  Common Cause in Wisconsin 152 W. Johnson St., Suite 212 Madison, WI  53703 608/256-2686 Want Good Government? Join Common Cause in Wisconsin! www.CommonCauseWisconsin.org