Fairness, Least Change and Gerrylaundering

By Annemarie McClellan

I served with eight other Wisconsinites on the People’s Map Commission. Governor Evers asked the commission to create legislative and congressional maps that would be without partisan bias or advantage, while holding true to traditional redistricting criteria. 

We fulfilled those obligations. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave our maps A-plus grades. Meanwhile, the legislators drew district maps that would maintain partisan advantage. Princeton graded them Fs. After the Governor vetoed the legislators’ maps, the Wisconsin Supreme Court took charge. 

Although the Governor supported the People’s Map Commission’s maps, he wasn’t allowed to present them to the Supreme Court. Why not?