VERY CONTENTIOUS REDISTRICTING
PROCESS IS WELL UNDERWAY IN
WISCONSIN AND LATE THIS WEEK THE
REPUBLICAN-DRAWN MAPS CAME
BEFORE A JOINT COMMITTEE FOR A
PUBLIC HEARING.
>> OUR GOAL FROM THE START WAS
TO FINISH MAPS THAT PRIORITIZE
AND ADJUST FOR CHANGE.
>> THE MAPS WOULD GIVE
REPUBLICANS A SIGNIFICANT
ADVANTAGE IN FUTURE ELECTIONS
ACCORDING TO EXPERTS, BUT
GOVERNOR EVERS IS EXPECTED TO
VETO THE GOP MAPS IN FAVOR OF
HIS OWN, WHICH STILL MAINTAIN A
REPUBLICAN MAJORITY BUT A
SMALLER ONE.
>> NOT ONLY DO WE NOT GET THE
THINGS THAT WE ASKED FOR AS A
PEOPLE.
WE DON'T EVEN GET THE DEBATE,
BECAUSE THE SYSTEM IS RIGGED.
AND AS THE ELECTIONS SHOW, THE
ELECTORATE SHIFTS BACK AND
FORTH, THE ASSEMBLY AND THE
SENATE DO NOT.
>> AND SO WITH THE GOVERNOR'S
VETO OF THE GOP MAPS ALL BUT
CERTAIN, THE MAPS ARE HEADING TO
COURT.
WISCONSIN PUBLIC RADIO'S CAPITAL
BUREAU CHIEF JOHNSO SHAWN JOHNSS
VEL OFVEL OFFDELVED INTO IT.
HEY, SHAWN.
ARE YOU PRETTY MUCH MAPPED OUT?
>> AS YOU KNOW, EVEN IF I WERE
MAPPED OUT, THESE EPISODES ARE
VERY TIGHT AND NOT TOO
EXHAUSTIVE FOR THE LISTENER.
>> THEY'RE GREAT REALLY.
>> THANK YOU.
>> IF THE NEW GOP MAPS LOOK A
LOT LIKE THEIR OLD MAPS, EXPERTS
HAVE DEPICTED THE OLD ONES AS
THE MOST JERRY MAN GERRYMANDERE
COUNTRY.
WHY ARE REPUBLICANS SAYING THEY
ARE GOOD MAPS?
>> THE OVERRIDING REASON IS THAT
THEY MAKE VERY FEW CHANGES TO
THE LAST MAPS, WHICH THEY LIKE.
THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION IN
SEPTEMBER THAT SAID HERE THE
PRINCIPLES THAT WE ARE GOING TO
FOLLOW WHEN WE DRAW THESE NEW
MAPS.
AND CORE RETENTION, THIS IDEA OF
A LEAST CHANGES MAP, WAS ONE OF
THE THINGS THEY LISTED.
THE IDEA OF NOT PAIRING A BUNCH
OF INCUMBENTS, SO YOU HAVE A LOT
OF NEW REPRESENTATIVES.
BASED ON THESE CRITERIA, THESE
MAPS PASS WITH FLYING COLORS AND
THEY HAVE THE ADDED BENEFIT OF
CEMENTING THIS REPUBLICAN MAP
THAT HAS HELPED THEM HOLD THEIR
MAJORITY FOR A DECADE.
>> SO AN EXAMPLE OF THE CURRENT
OR OLD MAPS FROM YOUR PODCAST
THAT WAS SUPER INTERESTING WAS
HOW THE CITY OF DI DEFOREST HAS
THREE ASSEMBLY AND THREE SENATE
DISTRICTS.
IS THAT AN EXAMPLE OF HOW
TORTUOUS THE PROCESS CAN BECOME?
>> I THINK IN THE DEFOREST CASE
IT'S AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A
COMMUNITY OF THAT SIZE, WHICH
WOULD BE EASY TO PUT IN A SINGLE
DISTRICT IF THAT WERE A
PRIORITY, CAN KIND OF GET BUMPED
DOWN THE PRIORITY LIST WHEN YOU
HAVE OTHER GOALS IN MIND.
MAPMAKERS ARE ALWAYS KIND OF
STAGGERING THEIR PRIORITIES,
WHAT THEY REALLY WANT TO DO.
IN 2011 DID HE FOREST CAME UP ON
THE SHORT END OF THAT.
THEY HAVE THREE REPRESENTATIVES,
THREE SENATORS.
NOBODY REALLY CALLS IT HOME.
IN THIS NEW MAP DEFOREST WOULD
BE LESS DIVIDED THAN UNDER THE
OLD ONE, BUT YOU DO HAVE OTHER
COMMUNITIES WHERE THEY'RE STILL
CHOPPED UP DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY
WERE A DECADE OR SO AGO.
>> SO WHAT'S THE OUTCOME OF A
GUARANTEED REPUBLICAN SWEEP IN
THE LEGISLATURE AND THEN CITING
A LINE FROM YOUR REPORTING, YOU
SAY WHEN YOU HAVE A MAJORITY
THAT YOU KNOW YOU WON'T LOSE,
YOU CAN AFFORD TO THINK BIG.
BASICALLY YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU
WANT REGARDLESS OF PUBLIC
OPINION.
AND WHAT'S A PRIMARY EXAMPLE OF
THAT?
>> I LIKE TO THICHG THINK OF ITN
THREE CATEGORIES.
THERE'S STUFF THAT REPUBLICANS
HAVE DONE IN THE PAST THAT GETS
LOCKED IN.
SO THEY PASSED ACT 10, FOR
EXAMPLE, OR VOTER I.D.
THERE WAS NEVER REALLY A BIG
ATTEMPT TO UNDO THOSE POLICIES
BECAUSE THE NEW LEGISLATURE WAS
NEVER GOING TO OVERTURN THOSE
THINGS.
THERE'S STUFF THAT THEY DON'T
HAVE TO DO.
FOR EXAMPLE, MEDICAL MARIJUANA
IS SUPPORTED BY MORE THAN 80% OF
THE PUBLIC, BUT THERE'S NEVER
BEEN A PUSH IN WISCONSIN REALLY
TO ALLOW FOR MEDICAL
MARIJUANAMENT AND TMARIJUANA.ANT
MIGHT HAVE BEEN UNTHINKABLE FOR
REPUBLICANS BEFORE, LIKE A
PRIVATE SECTOR RIGHT TO WORK
LAW, WHERE THEY SAID FOR YEARS
THEY DIDN'T WANT THAT.
BUT AROUND 2015, UNDER THE
CURRENT MAPS, THEY CHANGED THEIR
MIND AND THEY PASSED IT PRETTY
QUICKLY.
SO THERE'S ALL SORTS OF
CATEGORIES OF STUFF WHERE
REPUBLICANS CAN BEHAVE
DIFFERENTLY, DOING SOMETHING OR
NOT DOING SOMETHING, WHEN YOU
HAVE THE MAP AT YOUR BACK.
>> THIS IS EXPECTED TO LAND IN
THE COURTS AFTER THE LEGISLATURE
VOTES ON THEM IN THE COMING DAYS
AND EVERS VETOES THEM, AS IS
EXPECTED.
HOW IS THIS COURT PROCESS GOING
TO GO?
WE HAVE LIKE LESS THAN A MINUTE.
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION
THIS TIME AROUND.
I THINK IT'S PRETTY MUCH A GIVEN
IT'S GOING TO GO TO COURT.
IN THE PAST, THAT HAS GONE TO A
FEDERAL COURT WHERE A
THREE-JUDGE PANEL HAS DECIDED
MAPS.
BUT THE FEDERAL COURT HAS GIVEN
INDICATIONS THAT IT'S GOING TO
GIVE THE STATE SUPREME COURT THE
FIRST SHOT AT IT THIS TIME.
THE STATE SUPREME COURT HASN'T
DRAWN MAPS SINCE 1964.
THIS IS WHERE REPUBLICANS WANT
IT RESOLVED AND THEY'RE ASKING
THE COURT TO AGREE WITH THEIR
IDEA OF MAKING AS FEW CHANGES AS
POSSIBLE TO THE MAPS THAT THEY
PASSED THAT THEY LIKE FROM 2011.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SHAWN JOHNSON, THANKS VERY MUCH.