PASSED, IT WOULD THEN GO TO THE
GOVERNOR FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
REPUBLICAN STATE REPRESENTATIVE
WHO HAS LONG CHAMPIONED THE IOWA
MODEL IS HERE.
TODD NOVAK JOINS US FROM
DODGEVILLE.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> GLAD TO BE HERE.
>> SO HOW SURPRISING WAS IT THAT
THE SPEAKER MOVED TO A
REDISTRICTING PROCESS SIMILAR TO
WHAT YOU HAD PROPOSED?
>> IT WASN'T TOO SURPRISING.
MY COLLEAGUE AND I REPRESENT THE
NEIGHBORING DISTRICT AND I HAVE
BEEN ON THIS FOR YEARS.
WE FIRST STARTED, HIM AND I,
TALKING ABOUT THIS AFTER THE
LAST ELECTION.
IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, AFTER GOING
THROUGH THE LAST COURT CASE,
EVEN BEFORE THE ELECTION, AND WE
STARTED PUSHING AND WE ACTUALLY
MET WITH THE SPEAKER BEFORE
APRIL AND HE SAID, YOU KNOW, YOU
MIGHT BE RIGHT, TALK TO YOUR
COLLEAGUES, SEE IF YOU CAN TALK
TO SOME DEMOCRATS AND WE NEED TO
REALLY PROBABLY TAKE A LOOK AT
THIS.
NOW, THIS IS BEFORE APRIL.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IT
AND, YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY, IT
WAS -- TALKING TO SOME OF MY
COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE BEEN
OPPOSED TO IT AND WHY WE NEED TO
DO IT, WAS NOT THE EASIEST TASK,
BUT THEY LISTENED AND THEN
FINALLY WE GOT TO A POINT, I
WOULD HAVE RATHER PUT IT OUT IN
MAY OR JUNE.
FINALLY WE GOT TO A POINT WHERE
WE HAD IT, WE HAD EVERYTHING
TOGETHER AND WE WENT WITH IT AND
SO I WILL SAY THIS, IN MY
CAREER, THIS IS ONE OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS OF MY LEGISLATIVE
CAREER.
>> DOES IT MATTER TO YOU THAT
THE ABOUT-FACE ON THE ISSUE
COMES IN THE MIDST OF
REDISTRICTING LAWSUITS AND TALKS
OF IMPEACHMENT OF JUSTICE
PROTASIEWICZ AND THIS DEMOCRATIC
AD BLITZ AGAINST THEM AND THAT
IT CAME SO QUICKLY LIKE THAT?
>> I MEAN, FROM ME LOOKING ON
THE INSIDE, TALKING TO MY
DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES OVER THE
SUMMER, AND OUR WORKING GROUP, I
KNOW THE OPTICS LOOK BAD BUT, I
MEAN, I'M USUALLY CONSIDERED ONE
OF THE PRETTY TRUSTWORTHY GUY IN
THE LEGISLATURE BY BOTH PARTIES,
AND MY WORD'S GOLD, AND WE
DIDN'T JUST THROW THIS OUT IN
TWO OR THREE DAYS.
I KNOW THE OP SIX LOOK BAD, BUT
WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD ON
THIS FOR MONTHS, AND AS FAR AS
IMPEACHMENT ISSUE, WE HAVE NOT
EVEN TALKED ABOUT IMPEACHMENT.
I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE
BEING TARGETED BY THIS -- ALL
THIS MONEY, THE DEMOCRAT MONEY,
AND, YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON'T
CARE ABOUT IT.
I DON'T TIE THE TWO TOGETHER.
I KNOW THE MEDIA AND THE
DEMOCRATS, BUT IN MY MIND,
THAT'S NOT WHY I DID THIS.
LOOK AT MY RECORD.
I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 10 YEARS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THE LAWSUITS?
I MEAN, DID THAT...
>> I HAVE NO -- I'M NOT --
THAT'S NOT ANYTHING TO DO WITH
ME.
I DON'T EVEN, YOU KNOW --
THAT'S -- I'VE -- I'M SO USED
TO -- YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK BACK --
WE'VE BEEN IN THE COURTS FOR TWO
YEARS ON REDISTRICTING, TWO,
THREE YEARS.
THIS IS KIND OF WHAT GOT MY
COLLEAGUES THERE.
THE COURT COULD ESSENTIALLY FLIP
IN TWO YEARS AND THEN WE COULD
BE BACK DOING THIS.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS TO
DO MAPS EVERY TWO YEARS, AND NOW
WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE WHERE
IT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS.
>> HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO
DEMOCRATIC CRITICS OF THE BILL,
INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR, WHO
CALLS IT BOGUS?
>> THE SAME GOVERNOR WHO STOOD
AT THE SENATE CHAMBER PODIUM
DEMANDING WE DO THIS IN THE
STATE OF THE STATE BUDGET
ADDRESS, PUT THIS IN HIS BUDGET,
I BELIEVE, THESE EXACT SAME
PLANS, AND NOW HE'S SAYING IT'S
BOGUS.
I THINK YESTERDAY WAS VERY
TELLING TO ME.
WE HAVE ALL THE DEMOCRAT CAUCUS
ON RECORD, VARIOUS STATEMENTS
SUPPORTING THIS EXACT SAME
THING, AND NOW THEY WERE JUST
YESTERDAY, JUST TOTALLY FLIPPED.
AND, OH, NO -- I WON'T SAY ALL
OF THEM, SECRETLY, BEHIND THE
SCENES, SOME SAID WE REALLY WANT
THIS BUT OUR LEADERSHIP --
>> I WANT TO GET THIS QUESTION
IN.
WHAT ABOUT THE QUESTION THAT
EARLIER PROPOSALS FOR
NON-PARTISAN MAP-MAKING WOULD
REQUIRE APPROVAL OF AT LEAST
THREE-QUARTERS OF ALL MEMBERS
ELECTED IN EACH HOUSE, WHEREAS
THIS PROPOSAL DOES NOT REQUIRE
THAT?
>> NOW, WE CHANGED THAT TO
BIPARTISAN, AND IT HAS TO BE A
BIPARTISAN VOTE.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE -- WE PUT
SIX AMENDMENTS ON LAST NIGHT
WITH THE REQUEST OF SOME OF OUR
DEMOCRAT COLLEAGUES.
IT'S CHANGED TO BIPARTISAN.
AND THE REASON IS SIMPLY 75%,
YOU COULD HAVE 10 DEMOCRATS
LET'S SAY AND 10 REPUBLICANS
THAT SELFISHLY SAY, I DON'T LIKE
WHAT YOU DID TO MY DISTRICT, I'M
NOT VOTING FOR IT.
75% THRESHOLD ISN'T JUST GETTING
ANOTHER SIDE ON BOARD, IT'S
GETTING -- IT WOULD JUST BE
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET IN A
CERTAIN SITUATION.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN.
IT DOESN'T HAPPEN IN IOWA.
IT'S NOT IN THE IOWA MODEL.
SO ONLY CHANGES THIS BILL FROM
IOWA IS WHAT LEGISLATIVE
REFERENCE BUREAU SAID WE HAD TO
CHANGE TO MATCH OUR
CONSTITUTION.
>> ALL RIGHT.
REPRESENTATIVE NOVAK, WE NEED TO
LEAVE IT THERE.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.