GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed into law new legislative district maps, marking a significant shift in the state's political future.
- Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signs new legislative district maps into law.
- The proposal aims to redefine the state's electoral boundaries.
- Governor Evers hails the signing as a monumental political victory, highlighting years of Republican gerrymandering aimed at maintaining political control.
The proposal, proposed by Evers himself and passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature, aims to reshape the state's electoral boundaries.
Governor Evers celebrated the signing as a monumental political victory, signaling a new era in Wisconsin's governance. Evers highlighted years of Republican gerrymandering tactics aimed at maintaining political control.
"Republicans set up shop behind closed doors with high-paid attorneys. Many Republicans signed secret secrecy pledges and used technology and algorithms to draw some of the most un-democratic gerrymandered legislative maps in the United States of America,” said Governor Evers at the state capitol on Monday.
Luceles Florez, representing the Wisconsin Fair Maps Coalition, says the new maps as meeting all constitutional requirements and are politically neutral.
“They're one of the four maps that are most political, neutral, they meet all constitutional requirements, and they open up the space for fair democracy back in Wisconsin,” she said.
“Some people have to travel up to two hours for a polling site because of the way that the maps have been cut up for the last 15 years. So with these new maps, what we hope to create is a space where people actually feel included in their democracy, where people actually feel like their vote does count and does matter in the state,” Florez added.
The move is seen as a step towards inclusivity, addressing concerns where citizens had to travel long distances to reach polling sites due to previous map configurations.
CLICK THE LINK to view a visual representation of the recently approved maps and compare them to previous boundaries. The interactive maps clearly show the shift in districts.
The new legislative maps, now signed into law, are celebrated by advocacy groups as a turning point for democracy.
“It's exciting to finally get to a space where we can see politicians playing fair. It only took 15 years,” said Florez.
