%ANOTHER PIECE OF
ACTION
THERE
%THE STATE OF THE
STATE
ADDRESS.%GOVERNOR
EVERS
SAYS HE
WILL
SIGN
%AN
EXECUTIVE ORDER
T
O CREATE
A
%NONPARTISAN
REDISTRICTING
%COMMISSION, WHICH WILL
DRAW WHAT
%HE
CALLS
THE
PEOPLE'S
MAPS.
% >> A
NONPARTISAN
REDISTRICTING
%COMMISSION WILL
CONSISTS OF THE
%PEOPLE OF
OUR
STATE,
NOT
THE
%ELECTED
OFFICIALS,
NOT
%LOBBYISTS,
NOT
HIGH-PAID
%CONSULTANTS.%THEY WILL
VISIT
EVERY
%CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT
,
HEAR
%DIRECTLY FROM
FOLKS
ACROSS
OUR
%STATE,
AND
DRAW
FAIR,
IMPARTIAL
%MAPS FOR THE
LEGISLATURE TO
TAKE
%UP NEXT
YEAR.
%[APPLAUSE]
% >> FOR
SOME
INSIGHT ON
THE
%CHALLENGES
AHEAD,
WE
TURN TO
A
%NATIONAL
AUTHORITY
AND
EXPERT
%WITNESS, INCLUDING IN
%WISCONSIN'S
CASE.
%KEN
MAYER,
PROFESSOR
OF
%POLITICAL SCIENCE
A
T
U
W
MADISON.
%AND THANKS SO
MUCH FOR BEING
%HERE.% >> GOOD TO BE WITH Y
OU.
% >> WHAT WAS
YOUR
REACTION?%
>> THIS IS
A
SYMBOLIC
ATTEMPT BY
%THE GOVERNOR
TO
CREATE
AN
%
ALTERNATIVE
PROPOSAL.
%IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN
%WHAT
HE
PROPOSED LAST
YEAR,
%WHICH IS
T
O
CREATE A
FORMAL
%STATUTORY
PROCESS
THA
T
WOULD
%GENERATE
A
MAP THAT THE
%LEGISLATURE WOULD HAVE TO
%CONSIDER.%THIS
IS
MORE OF
A
BLUE
RIBBON
%COMMISSION.%THE DETAILS OF W
HICH
WE
DON'T
%ACTUALLY KNOW JUST
YET
.
%BUT
THE
IDEA WOULD BE
TO
CREATE
%AN
ALTERNATIVE
MAP
PROPOSAL
THAT%COULD BE
LINED
UP
AGAINST
%WHATEVER THE
LEGISLATURE
PUT
%TOGETHER.
%SO
YOU'RE
LOOKING AT
A
PROPOSAL
%AND
THEN
AN
ALTERNATIVE TO THAT
%PROPOSAL.
% >> HERE'S WHAT
S
ENATE
MAJORITY
%REPUBLICAN
LEADER
SCOTT'S
%FITZGERALD
SAID.
%HE
SAYS
THE
GOVERNOR PROPOSED
%SOMETHING HE
BELIEVES TO
BE
%UNCONSTITUTIONAL,
SAYING HE
%KNOWS THE
LEGISLATURE
HAS
T
HE
%RESPONSIBILITY PER
THE
%CONSTITUTION TO
NOT
ONLY
DRAW
%
THE MAPS
BUT
THE
CONGRESSIONAL%MAPS AS WELL.
%WHAT
ABOUT
THAT?
% >> WELL, THERE'S
N
O
QUESTION%THAT
THE
WISCONSIN
CONSTITUTION%PLACES AUTHORITY TO
DRAW
THE
%MAPS WITH THE
LEGISLATURE.
%AND
EVEN
THE
NONPARTISAN
%STATUTORY
COMMISSION THAT THE
%GOVERNOR
PROPOSED LAST YEAR
%WOULD CREATE A
PROPOSAL THAT THE
%
LEGISLATURE WOULD
HAVE
TO
ENACT.
%AND THE
BLUE
RIBBON
COMMISSION
%IS
ONE
STEP
BACK
THERE
THAT.
%IT'S SIMPLY
CREATING
AN
%ALTERNATIVE
WITH
PRESUMABLY THE
%HOPE
AND
EXPECTATION
THAT
I
T
%MIGHT GENERATE
SOME
PUBLIC
%PRESSURE, SO
THAT
LEGISLATORS
%WOULD
HAVE
AN
OPPORTUNITY
OR
%MAYBE
AN
A
N
INSENTIVE
TO
KE WHAT
%ARE
--
TO
WHAT
THEY'RE
D
OING.%I DON'T
THINK
THERE'S -- JUS
T
%CREATING A
DIFFERENT
MAP THAT
%THE
LEGISLATURE
MIGHT LOOK
AT.
% >> SO
OTHER
LAWS
WOULDN'T HAVE
%TO
ENACTED TO
HAVE
A
%COMMISSION
DRAW
AN
IMPARTIAL
%MAP?
% >> THE GOVERNOR AS
DENVERS
DO
%AND -- GOVERNOR
DOS
AND
%POLITICAL
EXECUTIVES
D
O IN
A
LOT
%OF
PLACES,
THE
1990s
GOVERNOR
%THOMPSON
CREATED
A
BLUE
RIBBON
%ON
CAMPAIGN
REFINANCING
FORM.
%IT'S A
COMMON
TECHNIQUE TO
%HIGHLIGHT AN
ISSUE
TO
GENERATE
%PUBLIC SUPPORT
OR IN
THIS
CASE
%
PROBABLY
TO
FOCUS
PUBLIC
%SUPPORT.
%BUT I DON'T
THINK
THERE'S
ANY
%MEANINGFUL
EXPECTATION
THAT
THIS
%WOULD
CREATE
A
PLOALZ
THAT
%
ANYBODY
WOULD --
PROEHL THA
T
%ANYBODY WOULD
INTERESTIST
WITH
%SOME
TEETH THAT THE
LEGISLATURE%WOULD HAVE TO
CONSIDER.
% >> LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT
THE
%WISCONSIN
MANUFACTURERS AND
%
COMMERCE
HAD
TO
SAY
ABOUT
THE
%GOVERNOR'S
PLAN.
%THEY
TWEETED
OUT
SAYING,
%
COMPLAIN
ALL YOU
WANT
ABOUT
%SO-CALLED
GERRYMANDERING.
%THE
REALITY
IS
THAT
VOTERS
%OUTSIDE DANE
AND
WALK
VOTES
FOR
%REPUBLICANS,
SAYING
THEY'D
LOVE
%TO
SEE HOW
YOU
DIVIDE
THIS
MAP
%INTO
99
EQUAL
POPULATION
%DISTRICTS WITHOUT A
GOP
%MAJORITY.
%WHAT'S
YOUR
RESPONSE TO
THAT?
% >> THAT'S AN ARGUMENT
THAT
WAS
%MADE IN
THE
WISCONSIN
LITIGATION%THAT THE
PARTISAN
IMBALANCE,
THE
%FACT THAT
IN
YEARS
THAT
%REPUBLICANS ACTUALLY
GOT
A
%MINORITY OF THE
STATEWIDE
VOTE,
%WOULD
ACTUALLY
GET
MUCH
MORE
%THAN
A
MAJORITY
OF
SEATS,
61,
%62,
6
3
SEATS.
%AND THE ARGUMENT
IS
IT'S JUST
A
%CONSEQUENCE OF HOW
PEOPLE ARE
%SORTED.%THE
DEMOCRATS
ARE
CONCENTRATED%IN
CITIES,
MILWAUKEE,
MADISON,%YOU
%EAU CLAIRE,
SUPERIOR.
%AND
REPUBLICANS
ARE
MORE
%EFFICIENTLY
DISTRIBUTED.
%THERE'S A
GRAIN
OF
TRUTH
IN
%THAT, THAT
WISCONSIN --
THAT
%DEMOCRATS
T
END
TO --
OR
PROBABLY%THE WAY TO
PHRASE IT
IS
THA
T
%CITIES WHICH
HAVE
LARGER
%POPULATIONS
TEND TO
BE
MORE
%DEMOCRATIC.
%BUT
THE
NOTION
THAT
%EXPLAINS
THE
ENTIRE
SCOPE
OF
%THE -- OF THE
PARTISAN
EFFECT OF
%THE
GERRYMANDERING --
IT'S
%LUDICROUS.
%THAT
LEGISLATURE ADMITTED I
N
%COURT THAT THEY
WERE TRYING
TO
%CREATE THE
MAXIMUM
PARTY
%ADVANTAGE, THAT IF
YOU
LOOK AT
%THE
MAP
AND
DISTRICT
AFTER
%DISTRICT, THE
DEMOCRATS
ARE
NOT
%ONLY
PACKED
PUT
ALSO
CRACKED.
%SO
THAT THE
Y ARE
SITUATED
IN
%DISTRICTS THAT
HAVE
53,
55,
57%
%
REPUBLICANS.%SO
IT'S
REALLY
A
RHETORICAL
%ARGUMENT THAT SIMPLY
DOESN'T
%REFLECT
THE
REALITY
OF
WHAT
THE
%EFFECT
OF
GEOGRAPHIC
SORTING
%MIGHT
BE.
% >> WHAT ARE THE
BEST
MODELS
FOR
%NONPARTISAN
COMMISSIONS DRAWING
%
MAPS?
% >> THAT'S
THE
QUESTION,
ISN'T
%IT?
%THAT THIS IS
A
PARTISAN
PROCESS.
%I
THINK ONE OF
THE
MODELS
THAT
%PEOPLE
ARE LOOKING
AT
IS
IOWA,
%WHERE
IN
IOWA
IT'S
A
STATE
%AGENCY
THAT
LOOKS
AT --
LOOKS
AT
%SOLELY
POPULATION.%THEY ARE
NOT
PERMITTED
TO LOOK
%AT
ANY
ELECTION
RETURNS.
%THEY'RE NOT
P
ERMITTED
T
O LOOK
AT
%WHERE
INCUMBENTS
LIVE.
%THERE ARE
SOM
E
SPECIFIC
%REQUIREMENTS
IN
IOWA,
%PARTICULARLY HOW
COMPANY,AN
%DISTRICTS
HAVE TO
BE --
HOW
%PARTICULAR DISTRICTS H
AVE TO
B
E
%DONE.%THIS AGENCY IS
SORT
OF
THEIR
%EQUIVALENT OF
THE
LEGISLATEIRE%
TECHNOLOGY SERVICES
HERE.
%THE
LEGISLATURE
CAN
IT'S
PASS
I
T
%OR
NOT
PAS
S
IT.
%IF THEY
DON'T
PASS
IT,
IT
GOES
%BACK
TO --
FOR
REVISIONS.
%BUT EVERY
DECADE
SINCE
THIS
%SYSTEM HAS BEEN
CREATED,
THE
MAP
%HAS
GON
E
THROUGH
WITH
NO
%LITIGATION,
WITH VERY
LITTLE
%CONTROVERSY.%AND
SO I
THINK
THAT
WAS
WHAT
THE
%GOVERNOR
WAS
TRYING TO
GET
A
T
%LAST
YEAR.
%BUT ONE OF
THE
WAY
S
THAT
IS
%COMMON IS
TO
NOT
ALLOW
ELECTION
%RETURNS TO
B
E
TAKEN
INTO
%EFFECT -- TAKEN INTO
ACCOUNT.
%AND THAT'S VERY
DIFFICULT
%BECAUSE YOU CAN
CREATE
A
PROCESS
%THAT
SAYS
YOU
CAN'T
LOOK AT
%THIS.
%BUT
IT'S
HARD
NOT
T
O
BECAUSE
THE
%DATA ARE
THERE.
%BUT THERE ARE A
NUMBER
OF
%ALTERNATIVES TO
HAVING
A
%
LEGISLATURE DRAWING THE
MAP
IN
A
%WAY THAT
IS
DESIGNED
TO
SECURE
%MAXIMUM PARTY
ADVANTAGE.% >> ALL RIGHT.
%WE
NEED
TO
LEAVE IT
THERE.
%