To the editor,
Having legislators who listen and respond to concerns is a cornerstone of our democracy. In Jefferson County, polls show, the majority of voters agree; fully fund our Public Schools, accept the Medicaid funding, write common sense gun regulations, accept non-partisan redistricting of maps and much more. Yet when Gov. Evers calls a special session to address the desire of the people, the majority party of the legislature gavels in and immediately gavels out. No public hearings, no action, no nothing! Last week hundreds of members of the public packed the room where the Wisconsin Legislature held a hearing on voting maps for legislative and Congressional districts. It was unanimous, everyone asked for fair maps.
Assembly Speaker Robin Vos admitted the Republicans spent nearly $4 million of taxpayers money drawing and defending the maps a decade ago when they redistricted hundreds of thousands of citizens. The results are clear, Democratic voters elect statewide candidates while Republicans win 62% of the Assembly seats. The maps were rigged.
This year, Vos wants to maintain existing partisan-districts. He says it’s to “promote continuity of representation” by “protecting incumbents”. But keeping the 2011 maps for another ten years is wrong, immoral and undermines peoples’ faith in our democracy.
The 2011 maps are widely regarded as among the most partisan gerrymandered maps in the country. Drawing legislative maps should and must be removed from the legislature and placed it in the hands of a nonpartisan commission. The party in power – which ever one – cannot be trusted to draw fair maps.
People from across party lines overwhelmingly support nonpartisan redistricting. It is time rigged maps are eliminated.
Contact rep.Dittrich@legis.wisconsin.gov (608-266-8551) and sen.Jagler@legis.wisconsin.gov (608-503-5213) today demanding fair maps!
Steve Bower
Lake Mills
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