OAN’s James Meyers
9:40 AM – Saturday, December 23, 2023
A Democrat majority Wisconsin Supreme Court ordered state lawmakers on Friday to redraw legislative maps before the upcoming 2024 elections.
Advertisement
In a 4-3 decision, the new Supreme Court ruled that legislative districts in the state must redraw maps and ruled that if the GOP members do not follow through with the ruling then Wisconsin Democrat Governor Tony Evers (D-Wis.) will sign new remedial maps into law.
The court claimed that it found “at least 50 of 99 assembly districts and at least 20 of 33 Senate districts” are in violation of Wisconsin’s constitutional requirements for legislative districts.
“We therefore enjoin the Wisconsin Elections Commission from using the current maps in all future elections, as such, remedial 51 maps must be adopted prior to the 2024 elections,” the court wrote.
Evers hailed the ruling as a big win for the Badger State.
“It’s clear to me that a Republican-controlled Legislature that has consistently gerrymandered itself into comfortable, partisan majorities for more than a decade is incapable of preparing fair, nonpartisan maps deserving of the people of this state,” Evers said in a statement.
“Wisconsin is a purple state, and I look forward to submitting maps to the Court to consider and review that reflect and represent the makeup of our state. And I remain optimistic as ever that, at long last, the gerrymandered maps Wisconsinites have endured for years might soon be history,” he added.
The ruling comes after the lawsuit was brought to the court just one day after Democrat Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected in April of this year, which ended 15 years of GOP control.
Protasiewicz was one of the four Justices that sided with the new ruling.
The new maps are due to the court by January 12th and evaluations by consultants are due by February 1st.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts