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Thank you, thank you.
What a Monday morning.
Anyway, good morning and thanks everybody, everybody for being here.
Folks, it's a new day in Wisconsin.
And today is a beautiful day for democracy.
Wisconsin of the 1,869 days I've been proud to serve as their governor.
Few have been as consequential as this one.
This is an important day and historic day for our state and for every person who calls Wisconsin home.
Today is a day that I believe will define our state's future.
But before I get there Wisconsinites, I want to begin with a little bit of history.
In 2009, on the eve of the 2010 U.S. Census,
Democrats had unified control of the executive branch and the majorities of both the houses of the Wisconsin state legislature.
Heading into the 2010 elections, that Democrat trifecta was faced with a choice,
secure fairness for posterity or wait and hold out for the possibility of retaining power for another decade.
And we know how that story ended.
In 2010, Republicans swept control of the executive branch and both houses of the legislature,
giving Republicans control over the map drawing process that went on to define our state for a generation.
Republicans set up shop behind closed doors with high paid attorneys,
made their Republican members sign secrecy pledges and use technology and algorithms
to draw some of the most undemocratic gerrymandered legislative maps in the United States of America.
And we know how that story ended too.
Republicans who gerrymandered themselves in the safe seats have done irreparable damage to our state's traditions,
our institutions and our basic functions of government over the past decade.
We've seen them sow more division, obstruct basic government functions
and ignore the will of the people by refusing to even consider basic common sense policies
that should easily earn bipartisan support.
When I ran for this office in 2018, I promised I would never stop working to right that wrong,
to fight for an independent non-partisan redistricting process,
to secure fair maps for Wisconsin,
and if faced with a similar choice for which Wisconsinites have spent a decade paying dearly
to have the courage to do what is right when that time came and that choice is before us today.
In December, the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down Republicans most recently gerrymandered maps,
ruling that they were unconstitutional and that no further elections could be conducted under those maps.
Wisconsin currently has no legislative maps in place for the 2024 election.
The court said that it would accept maps for them to consider,
and that they would hire non-partisan independent experts to review the maps that were submitted to them.
And here's what those experts said.
Importantly, the experts concluded the maps submitted by Republicans in the legislature,
and their right-wing allies were both, and I quote here, partisan gerrymanders.
So, in other words, just more of the same.
On the other hand, the experts reviewed the other four maps.
One submitted by me as well as three others included, and again I quote,
the four other submitted plans are similar on most criteria.
Also, they are nearly indistinguishable, they said.
Last month, Republicans took up another set of gerrymandered maps to protect Republican gerrymandered incumbents,
passed them and send them to my desk.
I kept my promise and I vetoed them.
Like I said, I would.
Then last week, Republicans passed the maps I submitted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court,
and those are the exact maps before me today.
They're my maps, nothing more, and nothing less.
To me, the decision to enact these maps boils down to this.
I made a promise to the people of the Wisconsin that I would always try to do the right thing.
And keeping that promise to me matters most, even if members of my own party disagree with me.
Folks, that's what having fair maps means.
It means elected officials actually have to listen and do what's best, not for their own political party,
but for the people who elect them.
People, state and country should come before politics and party,
or at least they always have and always will be for me.
I'm Tony Evers, and I always try to do the right thing for a state.
Wisconsinites want fair maps, and Wisconsinites deserve fair maps.
So today, Wisconsinites, I'm enacting fair maps for the great state of Wisconsin.
This will be the first time in over 50 years that Wisconsin will have fair legislative maps
enacted through the legislative process, rather than through the courts.
These maps will take effect immediately after publication,
and will be in place for the fall elections, providing certainty for candidates and campaigns
that are gearing up to circulate nomination papers for this spring.
I will also be asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to clarify that these maps will be in place
for any special elections that occur between now and the fall.
Thank you.
My maps that I'm signing today are fair, responsive, and reflect the will of the people.
And this is so important. Wisconsin, so I want to make sure I explain what this means.
First, these maps are fair.
We're aiming to make sure every party has a fair shake at winning the legislature.
Under these maps, it's more likely that each party will win a majority of legislative seats
when they earn the majority of their votes, common sense.
Second, these maps are responsive.
Under these maps, we'll see more competitive, contested races by making it more likely
the legislative districts will flip from one party's control to another
when voters' preferences change.
Every vote matters, and that's also good for democracy.
And finally, these maps reflect the will of the people.
Thank you.
Let's rise.
Under these maps, the people will be able to elect Republican majorities or Democrat majorities
or even split legislature if they want.
But the most important part is Wisconsinites decide that's how elections should work.
Wisconsin, when I promised I wanted fair maps, not maps that are better for one party
or the other, including my own.
A demo meant it.
Wisconsin is not a red state.
It is not a blue state.
Wisconsin is a purple state.
And I believe our maps should reflect that basic fact.
I believe, as I've also often said, that the people should get to choose their elected officials,
not the other way around.
And under the maps I'm signing today, I'm making good on that promise.
This is a great day for Wisconsin, and there's much to celebrate.
And we're not going to stop here.
I and we are going to continue to fight for fair, independent, and nonpartisan redistricting
process for Wisconsin.
If the people of Wisconsin vote to send Democratic majorities to Madison this November,
I'll tell you right now, one of the first orders of business and our first 100 days
together will be enacting a fair, independent, and nonpartisan redistricting system.
Today is a victory, not for me or any political party, but for a state and the people of Wisconsin
who spent a decade demanding more and demanding better of us as elected officials,
including many of the people here behind me today.
So thank you, and now, if I can find my way to the desk, let's sign some fair maps for Wisconsin.
Whoo!
Can you say anybody who is wondering why voice is struggling today?
Governor, you sounded so sharp just now.
I'm so sharp.
Thank you.
All right.
Let's make sure this kind of is operating.
This will become Act 94.
Whoo!
Thank you.
Okay.
I'm going to do that after questions.
Thank you governor.
Thank you.
Okay.
I'd be glad to answer any questions people might have.
I'm sorry, can you say that again?
No, I'm not concerned about any challenge.
I believe we will prevail in any challenge.
I'm thinking that that's a small risk, but if it is, we'll take it on and win.
Do you think of the Democrats, the majority of the Democrats will indicate the gap somewhere in your life?
Yeah, you know, that's a great thing about democracy, folks.
Sometimes, you know, people have different opinions on various things, and I just accept that.
My goal is to make sure that the will of the people is the law of the land.
Governor, what's your response to different topics that this process should have stayed in the court?
Well, the way it works primarily is to go through the legislative process, which we did here today.
And I think it's a successful process.
No, but I did spend a lot of time talking to the folks that had differences of opinion and listened to them.
And, you know, they made good arguments, but I felt at the end of the day, this is the right thing to do for the people Wisconsin.
Why do I state Supreme Court to, do you want to state Supreme Court to revisit the congressional map?
Yes, that would be preferable.
Yeah.
Why do you ask, why do you ask the court to make sure the maps are in effect for the special questions?
Yeah, we have to get that figured out. It's not clear right now.
And there definitely will be an election sometime soon, I hope.
So we have a vacancy now, and we have to have it filled, and that vacancy may cause another vacancy.
So we have to get that figured out, and the Supreme Court should be able to help us with that.
Good question.
I hope that they respond quickly so that we can get that election taken care of as quickly as possible.
People of Wisconsin are people that that Senate district deserve to have an elected representative.
To me, it doesn't matter.
Yes, I think we, yes, I think the same maps, the maps that exist now under this signing of the bill should be reflected in the
any, whether it's a recall election or a special election.
Last question.
Governor, what would tighter majority mean for governing the next session?
Great question.
I think having the ability to have to find a middle ground on a lot of things, I think is really important.
You know, there are some things that I care about such, you know, and this is a bit of a stretch, but I care about Medicaid expansion.
I have to believe there is at least one Republican in the House or the Senate that agrees with us on that.
And hope, you know, then maybe we could find a solution there.
So I think having it, you know, we're a purple state.
We have to operate as if we operate here as what happens on state.
And I said it in my comments is that that is critically important that the work here is reflective of the people that vote and live in the state of Wisconsin.
It's pretty simple.
It's democracy.
Thanks everyone.
Thank you.