>> THE WISCONSIN SUPREME COURT RELEASED ITS RULING THIS
AFTERNOON OVERTURNING WISCONSIN'S VOTING MAPS.
THE VOTE WAS 4-3 WITH CONSERVATIVE JUSTICES
DISSENTING. THE LIBERAL MAJORITY ORDERED NEW
MAPS BASED ON THE CONTIGUOUSUITY. THE NUMBER O
F STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS CONTAINING TERRITORY
COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED FROM THE REST OF THE DISTRICT IS
STRIKING. AT LEAST 50 OF T HE 99 ASSEMBLY
DISTRICTS AND AT LEAST 20 OF THE 33 SENATE DISTRICTS INCLUDE
SEPARATE DETACHED TERRITORY. IN DISSENT, CHIEF JUSTICE
ANNETTE ZEIGLER SAID, QUOTE, THIS DEAL WAS SEALED ON ELECTION
NIGHT. FOUR JUSTICES REMAP WISCONSIN,
EVEN THOUGH THIS CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITY IS TO OCCUR EVERY
10 YEARS AFTER A CENSUS. BY THE OTHER TWO BRANCHES OF
GOVERNMENT. CONTENTIOUS, TO BE SURE.
SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER, ZAC SCHULTZ, JOINS US WITH DETAILS.
ZAC, THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
>> MY PLEASURE. >> SO THE COURT RULED DETACHED
TERRITORY OR THE CONTIGUOUSNESS OF THE MAPS VIOLATES THE STATE
CONSTITUTION. DESCRIBE WHY. >> PART OF AN OLD TOWNSHIP WHEN
A CITY INCORPORATES AND GRABS A SUBDIVISION, IT WOULD LEAVE A
LITTLE ISLAND THAT BELONGED TO AN OLD TOWNSHIP, AND UNDER THE
MAPS, AND FOR THE PAST FEW DECADES, THEY'VE LEFT THOSE WITH
THE OTHER TOWNSHIP, AND IF THOSE HAPPENED ON THE DIVIDING LINES
OF AN ASSEMBLY DISTRICT, PART OF THAT ISLAND GOES WITH THE OTHER
DISTRICT. PAST COURTS HAVE R ULED THAT THAT
IS OKAY. THIS COURT SET PRECEDENT GOING
BACK TO THE 1800s, WHEN THEY SAID THAT CONTIGUOUS MEANS
CONTIGUOUS. >>> WHAT ELSE ST OOD OUT?
>> IT WAS THE TIME LINE OF THIS AND THE FACT THAT THEY'RE
GETTING AWAY FROM LEASED CHANGE. THAT WAS THE CRITERIA THAT THE
LAST COURT INVENTED FOR WHICH THEY WOULD CONSIDER THESE MAPS,
SAYING THAT THEY WANTED TO CHANGE THEM AS LITTLE AS
POSSIBLE. THIS COURT SAID THIS CHANGE IS
NOT A FACTOR, WE DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE USED, IT WILL BE
THROWN OUT. THIS COURT HAS DECIDED THAT
THEET GIVE THE LEGISLATURE THEY'RE GOING TO GIVE THE
LEGISLATURE A CHANCE TO DRAW THE MAPS AND SEE IF THEY CAN COME UP
W DEAL WITH THE GOVERNOR. THAT'S UNLIKELY.
>> WHO DRAWS THE MAPS? >> THERE ARE TWO ROUTES.
LEGISLATURE HAS THE OPTION OF PASSING LEGISLATURE.
THOSE WILL SUPERSEDE ANYTHING AND THEY'LL GO INTO PLACE.
SINCE WE KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN GIVEN THE
POLITICAL REALITY WE'RE IN, THE COURT HAS SAID THAT THEY WILL
HIRE CONSULTANTS TO HELP LOOK AND APPRAISE DIFFERENT MAPS THAT
ARE BROUGHT TO THEM AND PRESENTED TO THEM.
>> DO ALL 132 LEGISLATORS HAVE TO STAND FOR ELECTION UNDER NEW
MAPS? >> NO.
WHAT THEY ALSO RULED IS THATúSED MAPS JUST TWO YEARS AGO WILL NOT
HAVE TO GO UP AGAIN UNTIL A.E.D. 26.
>> SO MEANWHILE, THE COURT ALSO SET A JANUARY 12 DEADLINE TO
SUBMIT THESE NEW MAPS. TALK ABOUT FAST-TRACKED.
>> THIS HAS BEEN FAST-TRACKED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THIS
LAWSUIT BEING FILED THE DAY THAT JUSTICE PROTASIEWICZ WAS SWORN
IN ALL THE WAY TO ORAL ARGUMENTS, THIS DECISION COMING
OUT IN JANUARY UNPRECEDENTED. CANDIDATES CAN FILE IN THESE NEW
DISTRICTS IN APRIL, SO THEY HAVE TO MOVE ON A FAST TIME LINE,
WHICH IS WHY WE'RE SEEING THE COURT SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS
AT THE SAME TIME THE LEGISLATURE CAN BECAUSE WE DON'T TRUST THEM
TO GET IT DONE ON TIME. >> THEY'RE HIRING THESE
CONSULTANTS TO HELP THEM DO THIS, AND KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW
ABOUT HOW THIS STATE WORKS RIGHT NOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ALL OF
THESE PIECES CAN COME TOGETHER IN TIME FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S
ELECTIONS. >> WELL, THEY HAVE TO, AND
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS EVERY 10 YEARS EVERYWHERE ELSE.
IT WILL GET DONE. IT'S JUST PEOPLE WILL BE SAYING
THAT THEY'RE JUST AS BIASED IN A THAT THEY'RE JUST AS BIASED IN A