WISCONSIN IS AT THE CENTER OF A CASE HEARD IN FRONT OF THE
UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT IN OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR.
THE PLAINTIFFS IN THE CASE, GILL V. WHITFORD, CONTEND THAT
WISCONSIN'S LEGISLATIVE MAPS ARE A PRODUCT OF PARTISAN
GERRYMANDERING AND ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
IN A WEEKLY ONLINE SEGMENT, MARISA WOJCIK SPOKE WITH MALIA
JONES ABOUT PACKING AND CRACKING, TWO METHODS COMMONLY
USED TO GERRYMANDER DISTRICTS.
- WE CAN FIND EVIDENCE AND THE LOWER COURT DID FIND THAT WE SEE
CRACKING AND PACKING HAPPENING IN THE WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY
DISTRICTS.
PACKING IS -- SO, AS I SAID, PACKING IS THIS PROCESS WHERE A
LARGE NUMBER OF VOTERS ARE CONCENTRATED INTO A SMALL NUMBER
OF DISTRICTS.
AND SO IT MINIMIZES THEIR REPRESENTATION IN THE WHOLE
ASSEMBLY, RIGHT?
SO THEY DO WIN SEATS IN A FEW DISTRICTS, BUT ONLY A FEW.
SO THAT'S PACKING.
AND THEN CRACKING -- AND PACKING I THINK IS A LITTLE HARD TO
ARGUE, THAT THERE WAS INTENTIONAL PACKING IN THE
WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT MAPS BECAUSE OF JUST THE GENERAL
PATTERNS OF SEGREGATION THAT WE SEE IN THE CITY.
CRACKING IS -- I THINK THE EVIDENCE IS A LITTLE MORE
STRAIGHTFORWARD.
YOU CAN LOOK AT THE ASSEMBLY DISTRICTS THAT ARE IN THE
MILWAUKEE SUBURBS AND SEE THAT THE DISTRICTS ARE DRAWN IN SUCH
A WAY AS TO DIVIDE UP DEMOCRATIC VOTES.
- TO SEE THE FULL INTERVIEW, VISIT WISCONSIN PUBLIC
TELEVISION'S FACEBOOK PAGE OR FIND IT ON OUR WEBSITE AT
wpt.org/hereandnow.
A RULING ON THAT CASE COULD COME MONDAY.