Wisconsin Democrats slam redistricting delay

(The Center Square) – Senate Democrats at the Wisconsin Capitol spent time Wednesday blasting Republicans for delaying the state of the redistricting process until next February.

Republican lawmakers, who control the legislature and will control the map making process, say Wisconsin needs to wait for the final U.S. Census numbers before they can start to draw the map. Those numbers were supposed to be delivered in March. The Biden Administration now says the Census numbers will be available in August, though many lawmakers don’t believe that.

Delaying the mapmaking process until those numbers are in means the first election in newly drawn districts won’t happen until 2023.

Sen Duey Stroebel, R-Cedarburg, said earlier this month that Republicans don’t want to delay the new political map, but said they are trying to find the “least worst option.”

Republicans say drawing maps with incomplete Census data would likely lead to lawsuits.

Larson said Republicans are trying to “usurp the system.”

“I think it’s worth calling out [this plan] for the Trojan Horse that it is,” Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee said during Wednesday’s debate. “In an attempt to delay redistricting, delay map drawing, and using a sledgehammer to do it.”

“It’s a non-starter,” Larson said. “I intend to open-up this Trojan Horse and expose it for what it is.”

Democratic leaders and advocacy groups are already promising to sue over Wisconsin’s new political map.

Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, said Republicans need to take that into account as they move forward.

“This is what your legacy is going to be about,” Smith said.

The Democratic opposition did not stop the Senate from approving the delay. The fight over the map is now certainly headed for court.

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