Wednesday - June 16, 2021
Non-Partisan "Iowa Model" is Ideal for Wisconsin
This is the year that the process of redrawing state legislative and congressional districts to reflect population changes over the past ten years will at least begin and should be completed. The last time this process occurred, in 2011, Republicans in complete control of both state legislative chambers and the governorship, rammed through the most partisan, secretive, and unfair gerrymander of any state in the nation and one of the five most partisan of any redistricting processes in the last 50 years. That is not likely to happen this time around because there is a Governor of a different political party now in office and Tony Evers has promised to veto partisan Republican voting maps if they are forced through the Legislature again, as in 2011.
And in Wisconsin there is a much fairer, non-partisan alternative to the hyper-partisan redistricting process in place now that has overwhelming public support, and which was just re-introduced in the Legislature for the 6th consecutive legislative session. That measure is based on the redistricting process that our neighboring state of Iowa has had in place since 1980 and which has almost complete and total public support and confidence because it puts the interests of voters before that of politicians.
In Iowa a non-partisan legislative entity draws voter maps according to a strict set of non-partisan criteria. Partisan legislators have no role in drawing state legislative and congressional districts and can only vote up or down on the maps drawn by the Legislative Service Agency. They can't amend the maps or change them. And the non-partisan voter maps have been adopted by the Iowa Legislature in every redistricting process since 1980 - four straight times.
In mid-May, at a rally in front of the State Capitol in Madison, the "Iowa Model'' legislation, which CC/WI united pro-reform legislators and state organizations and citizens behind beginning in 2013, was introduced with bipartisan co-sponsorship by State Senator Jeff Smith (D - Eau Claire) and State Representative Deb Andraca (D - Whitefish Bay). Senate Bill 389 and Assembly Bill 395 has been co-sponsored by Republican State Representatives Joel Kitchens of Sturgeon Bay, Todd Novak of Dodgeville, and Travis Tranel of Cuba City.
This legislation has gained the support of an overwhelming majority of Wisconsinites since 2013. It has passed overwhelmingly in every county and municipal advisory referendum that it has been on the ballot -- in nearly 30 counties. And 55 of Wisconsin's 72 County Boards have passed resolutions in support of non-partisan redistricting reform.
Your voice is needed to help push this much-needed reform forward in the Wisconsin Legislature. It is vitally important that you contact both your State Senator and your State Representative and tell them that you support Senate Bill 389/Assembly Bill 395 and that you expect for them to do so as well.
Please read this excellent, recent editorial about the need for the "Iowa Model" redistricting reform legislation from the Wisconsin State Journal.
We can and will eliminate partisan gerrymandering and get fair voting maps for Wisconsin!
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🗣 Your voice is needed. 🗣
Tell your legislators to listen to the people, do what's right for democracy, and pass redistricting reform in Wisconsin! Your legislators need to hear from YOU. Mapmakers need to hear loud and clear that We the People will not be excluded from the redistricting process or silenced by gerrymandering. Take action today. (This form makes it easy to directly contact your legislators.)
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Jay Heck
608/256-2686 (office)
608/512-9363 (cell)
608/512-9363 (cell)
Common Cause in Wisconsin
152 Johnson St, Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
www.commoncausewisconsin.org
152 Johnson St, Suite 212
Madison, WI 53703
www.commoncausewisconsin.org
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